Mealycup sage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mealycup sage |
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Salvia earlei Wooton & Standl. |
The Mealycup Sage, also known as Salvia farinacea, is a beautiful plant that grows year after year. It comes from places like Nuevo León in Mexico, and Texas and Oklahoma in the United States. This plant is special because of its bright violet-blue flowers and shiny leaves. Most other plants in the Salvia family have duller leaves, but the Mealycup Sage stands out!
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About the Mealycup Sage Plant
The Mealycup Sage can grow quite tall, usually reaching about 60 to 90 centimeters (2 to 3 feet) high. Its leaves can be shaped like an egg or a spear.
The plant's flower stems often have blue hairs, though sometimes they are white. The part that holds the flower, called the calyx, is also covered in dense blue or white hairs. This makes the small teeth on the calyx hard to see. The flowers themselves are a bright blue-white color and look very sleek. Each flower can be about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long.
Growing Mealycup Sage
This plant loves sunlight! It grows best in full sun or a little bit of shade. With good soil, it can grow taller than 45 centimeters (18 inches).
The Mealycup Sage is great for attracting animals. Butterflies and hummingbirds love to visit its colorful flowers. It can survive in warmer climates, usually in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 10.
You can enjoy its flowers from June all the way until the first frost of the year. In cooler areas, people often plant it every year, treating it like an annual plant. It's a popular ornamental plant for parks and gardens, especially in summer. You can also use its beautiful flowers as cut flowers in a vase!
Different Types of Mealycup Sage
There are several cool types, or "cultivars," of Mealycup Sage that people grow. Some popular ones include:
- S. farinacea 'Blue Bedder'
- S. farinacea 'Strata'
- S. farinacea 'Victoria'
There are also special types that are a mix of S. farinacea and another plant called S. longispicata. These mixed types are very popular for gardens, such as:
- Salvia Indigo Spires
- Salvia Mystic Spires Blue
Gallery
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Salvia farinacea x Salvia longispicata "Mystic Spires Blue'
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Bumblebees are very attracted to mealycup sage cultivars
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Inflorescence
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Natural habitat
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Leaves and flowers
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Exhibition of Flower Festival, Taichung, Taiwan.
See also
In Spanish: Salvia farinacea para niños
