Skip to Content Skip to Navigation
Proven Winners® Menu

Rockin'® Playin' the Blues® Salvia longispicata x farinacea

Rockin'® Playin' the Blues® - Salvia longispicata x farinacea
2 Readers Rated This: (5)
  • Hardy Zones
    • 7 - 10
  • Exposure
    • Part Sun to Sun
  • Season
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Fall
  • Mature Size
    • 24 - 48 Inches

Professional Information Professional Growing Information

Proven Winners
Proven Winners
Rockin'® Playin' the Blues® Salvia longispicata x farinacea
Part Sun to Sun 24 - 48

Features

FANCY, yet UNFUSSY.

Beautiful blue flowers all summer long.  As the flowers age, the calyx remains deep-blue after the actual flower falls off, giving the impression that the entire flower stalk remains in flower giving a greater floral presence in the garden.

Fragrant Foliage
Continuous Bloom or Rebloomer
Long Blooming
Fall Interest
Heat Tolerant
Deadheading Not Necessary
Drought Tolerant
Attracts: 
Bees
Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Resists: 
Deer

Characteristics

Duration: 
Annual
Height Category: 
Tall
Garden Height: 
24 - 48 Inches
Spacing: 
14 - 18 Inches
Spread: 
24 - 36 Inches
Flower Colors: 
Blue
Flower Colors: 
Purple
Flower Shade: 
Blue-purple
Foliage Colors: 
Green
Foliage Shade: 
Green
Habit: 
Upright
Container Role: 
Thriller

Plant Needs

Light Requirement: 
Part Sun to Sun
Maintenance Category: 
Easy
Bloom Time: 
Planting To Hard Frost
Hardiness Zones: 
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Water Category: 
Average
Soil Fertility Requirement: 
Average Soil
Uses: 
Container
Uses: 
Cut Flower
Uses: 
Landscape
Uses: 
Mass Planting
Uses: 
Specimen or Focal Point
Uses Notes: 

Great in beds, along walkways, and on patios.

Maintenance Notes: 

Playin' The Blues™ is a wonderful annual Salvia (except in frost free zones) compact and richly colored it is easy and trouble free. It is sterile so it will not set seed and that means it will just bloom, and bloom and bloom all season without stopping.

You can easily trim to keep the shape or size where you want it, and it will branch out and become even thicker and more full of flowers.

Regular watering and fertilizing will keep the plant at maximum color and growth but it is amazingly tough and once established in a pot or the garden will tolerate lower levels of food and water. However, severe drought will cause lower leaves to drop and if this happens give it a quick haircut removing the upper 1/3 of growth and once it back to normal watering it will fill back in.

Playin' The Blues™ is a big attractor of bees! They love the sweet nectar in the flowers, so place it accordingly; a bit farther from seating areas if bees are a concern. It is always great to have a plant that will support our native bees!!

Rockin'® Playin' the Blues® Salvia longispicata x farinacea 'Balsalmispim' USPPAF
Add your review

  • I agree with the previous reviewer: This is a strong and rangy plant. I didn't expect it to be a standout in my yard but was! The colorful blue calyxes really do keep the impact going so it never needed deadheading to look good. It got taller than I expected it to be (about 3 to 4 feet tall) but as the plant aged, the individual stalks sagged just a little. Since the foliage was also so vigorous the saggy habit looked great. Place it next to a groundcover rosebush with yellow or orange blooms for a really pretty combo.

    Outstanding My favorite plant, I recommend to others all the time and explain the reasons why I like it so much.
    Deb Wiley
    Des Moines
    Iowa
    United States
    49 weeks ago

  • Vigorous and rangy, but the branching is strong, providing balance, resists splitting. It shows few symptoms when neglected, and is responsive to feeding.

    Outstanding My favorite plant, I recommend to others all the time and explain the reasons why I like it so much.
    Josh Miller
    Carleton
    Michigan
    United States
    49 weeks ago
Back to Top