Back to the Fuchsia carries deep fuchsia-pink flowers on dark charcoal stems, a strong color that stands out against its dark green leaves. The spikes appear in large numbers from late spring into early summer.
Shear it back after the first round and it will bloom again. It needs little besides sun and an occasional drink, and it draws bees, butterflies and hummingbirds while deer and rabbits pass it by. Try it in borders, mass plantings and fresh or dried arrangements.
What it looks like
Slender, upright flower spikes 6 to 8 inches long lined with small, two-lipped florets in a deep fuchsia pink, set in dark purplish calyxes on nearly black charcoal stems. Many spikes rise densely above the foliage. Leaves are lance-shaped, dark green and slightly textured, 2 to 4 inches long. The plant is an upright, rounded clump 22 to 28 inches tall and 22 to 34 inches wide. At peak bloom it is a thick bundle of hot pink spikes on dark stems.
Growing it with lavender
Salvia wants the same full sun and lean, well-drained soil as lavender, and its upright spikes echo lavender's form while filling the gap before and after the main lavender bloom.
Care
Grow in full sun in average, well-drained soil; it tolerates drought once established. Hardy in zones 3-8; cut the plant back by about a third after the first bloom to bring on another flush.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Salvia
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Flower color: Deep fuchsia pink
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Foliage: Dark green
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Growth habit: Upright, rounded clump
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Mature size: 22–28 in tall × 22–34 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 3–8
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Light: full sun
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Bloom start: Late-May
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Peak bloom: Mid-June
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Bloom pattern: Repeat Blooming
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Deer resistance: Resistant
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Pollinator value: Excellent
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.