Salvia buchananii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Salvia
Species:
S. buchananii
Binomial name
Salvia buchananii
Hedge

Salvia buchananii, or Buchanan's sage, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is a herbaceous perennial or subshrub that was only found in the wild in the northeastern extreme of the state of Querétaro, Mexico, after fifty years of cultivation as a garden plant.[1]

Velvet sage from Mexico at San Antonio Botanical Garden (2015)

History

During the 1950s an unidentified species of Salvia was found in the garden of an English family in Mexico City.[2] A seed from the garden plant was taken to England at around the 1960s, where it was then grown by Sir Charles Buchanan. It is sometimes called Buchanan's fuchsia sage. Ian Charleson Hedge then described Salvia buchananii in the Botanical Magazine in 1963.[3]

Description

Salvia buchananii grows 1–2 feet tall and 1 foot wide, with glossy green leaves widely spaced along the stem. The flowers are a rich magenta, about two inches long, which rarely set seed.[4]

It was found growing in cloud forest, pine-oak forest, and oak thicket in the far northeastern part of the state of Querétaro, Mexico. It is similar to Salvia blepharophylla.[1]

Award

This plant grows well in a temperate climate. However it does not tolerate frost, and requires protection during cold wet winters. It is easy to propagate from cuttings. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ a b Zamudio, Sergio; Bedolla-García, Brenda Y. (2013). "Descubrimiento de Salvia buchananii (Lamiaceae) en estado silvestre en Querétaro, México" (PDF). Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad. 84 (2): 530–535. doi:10.7550/rmb.32447.
  2. ^ Phillips, Rix, Roger, Martyn (1991). Perennials Volume 2 Late Perennials. Pan Books. p. 98. ISBN 0330292757.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Lamiaceae Salvia buchananii Hedge". ipni.org. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  4. ^ Clebsch, Betsy; Barner, Carol D. (2003). The New Book of Salvias. Timber Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-88192-560-9.
  5. ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Salvia buchananii". Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  6. ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 94. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
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