Gaga for Greggii

摘要

Heat and drought are commonplace in western gardens; so when a garden plant thrives and blooms repeatedly in these harsh conditions they become a mainstay in the landscape. Salvia gregii and its hybrids have become one of those proven plants. Salviasgreggii, microphylla and x jamensis, a naturally occurring hybrid of the two species, are native to Arizona, Texas and Mexico. This promiscuous group of plants has lent their genetics to numerous garden hybrids and selections. With more than 60 varietiesavailable commercially and Salvia greggii's standing as an excellent garden plant, Pacific Plug & Liner thought Salvia greggii to be a perfect fit for its annual summer perennial comparison trial. The key question that arises when we do a comparison trial is how do the modern patented varieties that originate out of true breeding programs stack up against older garden varieties that have been in production for years and most likely are not patented.