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Kim Franke-Folstad
Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.
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Sage growers should be smarter about giving plants distinct names
Posted Sep 30, 2010 by Kim Franke-Folstad
Updated Sep 30, 2010 at 01:56 PM
Growers would make life a lot easier for gardeners if they could just do a little bit better when it comes to changing up the names of different kinds of plants.
For example, I can think of at least four plants I’ve heard of – and two that I’ve owned—called “purple showers.”
There’s Mexican petunia (Ruellia brittoniana) …
... and Viola cornuta and Viola cucullaria to name three. And then there’s Golden Dewdrop, which has a shower of PURPLE flowers. (Am I the only one who scratches her head about that?)
A bunch of orange or red plants are labeled firebush, or firecracker or fire spike.
I finally got my head wrapped around Mexican petunias and Mexican heather and Mexican sage—and then I bought something at Home Depot called Texas sage. Arrggh.
Come on – they’re all from the southwest, right? So in my mind, these two sages became one and the same.
Except they weren’t. Aren’t.
Coincidentally, at about that same time I planted my Texas sage, Penny started talking about her Mexican sage. And she mentioned that it didn’t like the cold. And then she mentioned something about it being salvia.
What? Apparently, I had found some very un-salvia-like sage. Because the tag on my sage said it could go down to 10 degrees. Mine didn’t look at all like salvia, And, more significantly, it wasn’t performing at all like salvia performs in my garden. Which is to say I hadn’t killed it yet.
So, I looked it up. (Have we thanked heaven for the Internet yet today? If not, consider this my offering.) And the photos, well, they didn’t look like this.
Which is what I bought. Which is Texas sage (Leucophyllum frutescens).
They looked like this.
Which is Mexican sage (Salvia leucantha). Which is, ahem, salvia. Which I did buy, once, several months ago, as a matter of fact. And which I killed shortly thereafter. Because I kill SALVIA.
Texas sage, it turns out, is not truly sage at all, although it is water-wise (rim shot). It has no relation to salvia.
Which explains why my plants are doing just fine, with their lovely silvery-green leaves and their delicate pinkish-purple flowers.
They don’t seem to be nearly as needy as any salvia/sage I’ve had before.
So I feel very smart for buying them.
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Reader Comments
Posted by (Janna) on September 30, 2010
I know EXACTLY what you mean! I have tried to be better about knowing/remembering the names of plants I purchase, but just when I think I’m getting a grip on it, I look to the internet for tips only to find that the photos don’t match what I just planted. Back to square one. When someone asks me, “What’s that?” my answer is still often “I dunno’.”
Posted by (Kim Franke-Folstad) on September 30, 2010
I have considered leaving little cheat sheets around my garden, in case someone asks what something is. Some days, I can remember everything, other days ...
And, of course, that would require actually KNOWING what everything is in the first place.
We met a woman at Greenfest who sold little stakes you could have printed with plant names. That would be helpful. Might make the yard look too much like a botanical garden, though. Uh, no. Nevermind. No it wouldn’t.
Posted by (Chip) on September 30, 2010
I think the same group of people name plants as well as colors! I mean “mauve” really? who comes up with stuff like that? If I buy a plant and it has a tag I have filing cabinet I put it in. Other wise its the plant with the big pink flowers and well you get the idea! Its a good thing I have Diane She is great at remembering names me not so much….“Chip”
Posted by (kgardens) on October 01, 2010
Maybe I should get some of that Texas Sage, my Mexican Sage isn’t happy. I’m jealous every time I see Penny’s.
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on October 01, 2010
That whole, fire spike, fire bush, firecracker thing confuses me too. Even though I have a couple of them and have to stop and think before I spout off what it’s called. Pagoda is in there too because it has that red spike. The sages, I love. They tend to get spent looking by the end of the summer but they are dependable color for me and the butterflies love them. Now I want to find a Mexican sage and add it to the mix. You’ll have to tell us how it does through the winter, Kim.
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on October 01, 2010
I guess I will never be a REAL gardener because I can never remember all the names of plants.
One of my new favorite plants is the Texas sage, for years I would see it bloom in Seminole Heights and not know what it was and I found one this year in bloom at Kerbys, life is now good. Happpy Fall yall. Pumpkin
Posted by (Janna) on October 01, 2010
Tomorrow at 11 would be good for me to meet with you all at Betty’s. It’s supposed to be a beautiful weekend, too!!
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on October 01, 2010
I think I could make it tomorrow at 11:00. Pumpkin
Posted by (kgardens) on October 01, 2010
Oh shoot! I can’t go tomorrow. But…I could go on Monday morning if she really doesn’t mind. I would have Landin (grandson) with me so I wouldn’t be staying long. But I’m really interested in seeing that ground cover. Otherwise, you guys just take a lot of pictures!
Posted by (Chip) on October 02, 2010
Who is all going to visit Mrs. Morris? Diane and are going be there at 11:00 am. any changes let us know…“Chip”
Posted by (Janna) on October 02, 2010
What a WONDERFUL morning with Betty in her garden. Betty, you are a delightful and gracious host and I so enjoyed spending time with you and touring your beautiful grounds. I greatly appreciate the cuttings and will be raving about your lemonade for weeks to come!! Chip and Diane, it was great to see you too and thank you for the seeds! I’ll start a few pagodas for you. Betty, I’ll refer to the previous “Dirt” post to give my best shot at rooting some of the butterfly wing plant.
Posted by (Janna) on October 02, 2010
Penny, you have a way of finding the NICEST of folks. Thanks for introducing us to Betty. My, what a green thumb she has! Such a variety of plants and some very yummy star fruit fresh from her tree.
Kay, you will love visiting on Monday! Sorry to have missed you, Kim, Pumpkin and Susan - but I have a feeling we’ll see eachother before too much longer.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend…
Posted by (Janna) on October 02, 2010
P.S. Now I’m even GREENER with greenhouse envy. Betty’s has has a temperature-sensitive fan, irrigation and lots of “newbies” well on their way to full grown splendor.
Posted by (Chip) on October 02, 2010
Yes we did have a great time also! Diane just Love’s Your Garden Mrs. Morris! I know just how much work you have put into your yard. Most people will complain about all the weeds they have to pull just to get a garden in. But you had to get rid of cars truck motorcycles just to be able to get to the weeds! It was a big job and you turned it into a real show place. And if I gave you any trouble when I was a Teenager. I am sorry! ....“Chip”
Posted by (kgardens) on October 02, 2010
OK, where are the pictures? I called Betty and invited myself over to her garden on Monday. She was most gracious. I can’t wait to see that greenhouse. I’ve been mulling over ideas on how to do a temporary winterizing of my screen room….