Salvia iodantha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Salvia iodantha |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Salvia iodantha is a beautiful plant that grows in the mountains of central Mexico. It's a type of plant called a herbaceous perennial. This means it has soft stems (not woody like a tree) and lives for more than two years. It can be found growing at very high elevations, from about 2,600 to 10,500 feet above sea level.
A scientist named Merritt Lyndon Fernald first described this plant in the year 1900. People started growing Salvia iodantha in gardens and nurseries around the 1980s because of its lovely appearance.
Contents
What Does Salvia iodantha Look Like?
Salvia iodantha is a very strong and large plant. It can grow to be 10 feet tall or even more! It can also spread out to be 6 feet wide or more.
Stems and Leaves
Its stems are quite interesting. They tend to "climb" or lean, often growing into the branches of nearby trees. Then, its own flowering branches can hang down from the tree's limbs. Many branches grow right from the bottom of the plant. These branches are covered in leaves that are a fresh, mistletoe-green color. The leaves can be oval-shaped or long and narrow. They also vary in size, but they are usually about 2 to 3 inches long and 1 to 1.5 inches wide.
Flowers and Their Color
The flowers of Salvia iodantha are a pretty cyclamen-purple color. They have many tiny hairs, which makes them feel soft and velvety. Each individual flower is less than 1 inch long. By themselves, they might not seem very noticeable. However, the plant produces many flowers packed together on long flower stalks called inflorescences. These inflorescences can be up to 6 inches long.
How the Flowers Bloom
The flowers bloom so much that the whole plant looks incredibly showy and colorful. The flowers are tightly grouped in circles, with 12 flowers in each circle. These circles are also very close together on each flower stalk. This creates a dense and impressive display of purple blooms.
