Salvia Indigo Spires is a Salvia among Salvias. How fully can I sing its praises? As a disclaimer, I tend to love the big floppy Salvias (Mexican Salvia, Bog Sage), while remaining relatively cool towards the smaller, more formal Salvias. I love the spicy scent of Salvia foliage; perhaps it’s an acquired love, I don’t really know since I loved it from the first time I said hello. At the very least, I’d say that a gardener’s attitude towards the scent of Salvia would reveal something about their character to me, although I would be the first to admit that I have some strange methods for evaluating these things in other human beings. Anyways, back to Salvia Indigo Spires. Flowers are blue…really really blue. Indigo Spires is ridunkulous in how easy it is to grow, and then of course, there’s the indisputable fact that butterflies love this plant. (And who could ever accuse a butterfly of lacking character?)

Salvia Indigo Spires was apparently (you may be assured I am not an authority on the subject of the lineage of Salvia) discovered at Huntington Botanical Gardens during the 1970’s. A hybrid of Salvia farinacea and Salvia longispicata, Salvia Indigo Spires was introduced to the gardening public in 1979. By the way, Salvia farinacea and Salvia longispicata are both native to Mexico, should you care about such things (and many of us do).

Butterflies, Hummingbirds and Salvia Indigo Spires
Butterflies dig Salvia Indigo Spires, which is enough of a recommendation for some of the gardeners I hang out with. Further, the bees and hummingbirds will surely stop by. The hummingbirds, especially, will stick around if one has the good sense to plant some Cardinal Flower and Monarda (Bee Balm) in the general vicinity. Toss some butterfly weed into the garden, and Monarch Butterflies will beat a path to your place. See Butterfly Weed is what we need.

Growing Salvia Indigo Spires
It probably will not survive winter in Zones 7a and colder, but no matter. Growth rate is quickish, and the small yearly investment of replanting will earn a huge dividend in personal enjoyment and Karma. Chunk it into the ground in a spot that gets a bit of sun. Salvia Indigo Spires is tough, can be neglected, and tends to sprawl around of its own accord. I love plants that move to their own rhythm, and Indigo Spires surely moves to a sometimes ungainly beat (mirroring my own occasional drunken forays onto the dance floor). Deadhead the spent blooms when you feel like it and you will be rewarded. Can get a little droopy if it needs watering.

Common Name: Salvia Indigo Spires
Scientific Name: Salvia farinacea x longispicata ‘Indigo Spires’
Of note: Sterile hybrid (does not reproduce with seeds) | butterflies love this plant | worth planting every season as an annual.

Classification: Tender perennial, Annual
Zones: Hardy zones 7-11.
Flowering Season: summer
Growth Habit: 3-5 feet.
Ease of Culture: Easy.
Sunlight: Direct sun to mostly sun.
Water Requirements: Appreciates ample moisture.
Soil Requirements: Not too particular, but likes good drainage.