(Salvia mexicana 'Limelight') SAL-vee-ah meks-ih-KAH-nah Genus:  Salvia This unusual tender perennial displays an electric color combination when its vibrant purple-blue flowers open from bright chartreuse calyces.  Fortunately, glossy, bright green leaves hold their own until the show gets started in August (and continues until frost). It forms a tall bush, 6 feet tall by 6 feet wide, which is great for the back of the border. Salvias are some of the showiest plants for containers, annual borders, and mixed borders. Butterflies and hummingbirds love them.  Care:  Provide moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Cut tips back early in the season for a bushier plant. Propagation:  Divide in spring. Take cuttings spring through fall. Problems:  Powdery mildew, rust, stem rot, fungal leaf spots, whiteflies, aphids, mealybugs, spider mites.

Overview

Height 3 ft. to 6 ft. Spread 3 ft. to 6 ft. Growth Habit Clumps Growth Pace Fast Grower Light Full Sun to Part Shade Moisture Medium Moisture Maintenance Moderate Characteristics Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Showy Flowers Bloom Time Early Fall, Fall, Late Summer Flower Color Blue, Purple, Yellow Uses Beds and Borders, Container, Cut Flower, Suitable as Annual Style Cottage Garden Seasonal Interest Summer Interest Type Perennials