Width: At least 4 feet (foliage only), 10 feet including blooms
Bloom color: Purple with white or pale yellow markings
Bloom time: Late April into fall; heaviest bloom is in late spring and early summer but will continue into fall if kept deadheaded.
Scent: None
Sun/shade: Prefers some shade; not tolerant of full sun without regular watering.
Moisture: Best with regular water, especially if grown in full sun. Wilts and edges of leaves turn brown in dry conditions.
Problems: Prolific self-sower; bottom leaves become dried and brown but they are hidden by upper leaves; not very drought-tolerant.
Purchased: Grew from seed harvested from parent plant, which I grew from seed obtained in a trade.
Planted: Fall, 2000.
Conditions: Growing in dappled shade beneath a large, deciduous Mimosa tree. Gets regular watering from the lawn sprinklers.
Other comments: Evergreen in our zone. Very large, hairy leaves provide a rosette of basal foliage. Plant is best in dappled shade. Must be regularly dead-headed to prevent seeds from blowing everywhere. Extremely easy to grow from seed. Interesting specimen plant; people who visit usually ask about it. Very attractive from a distance when in bloom, especially when back-lit by the sun. I nicknamed this plant "Resurrection Salvia" after it completely turned brown in a pot from lack of water but came back quickly after I resumed watering. Also, I ruthlessly ripped one out of the ground (too-crowded conditions) and it grew back from a small piece that remained in the soil. However, I would not describe the plant as invasive. I recommend a yearly tidying up in the fall by cutting off all brown foliage and deadheading the stems to the base of the plant.
