The Magenta-Blooming Salvia That Pollinators Can't Resist

If you want to add a dramatic pop of color to your pollinator garden, there are always an abundance of new hybrids and cultivars being released by plant breeders every year. This means you have plenty of choice, but it can also be a bit overwhelming deciding which plants you should grow. As you probably already know, the range of salvias available is huge, and these plants are certainly a favorite with pollinators, as well as being one of the most perfect plants that will have hummingbirds flocking to your yard. In your hunt for new varieties to try, keep an eye out for a magenta-blooming salvia known as 'Smokey Jazz,' which is part of the Bodacious collection.

This outstanding salvia is a hybrid of Salvia guaranitica, which is the anise sage, so you'll love the licorice fragrance emitted by the leaves when crushed. It has the most stunning flowers on a black calyx. These blooms are a rich magenta color, which is a shade somewhere between purple and red. The flowers really stand out against the dark green foliage of this superb cultivar. Like most salvias, it's a perennial in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 10, but it can be grown as an annual elsewhere. 'Smokey Jazz' is quite an impressive plant, growing to a mature height and spread of around 4 feet.

'Smokey Jazz' is just as easy to grow as most other salvias. It loves the heat, so a sunny position is ideal. Moist, well-drained soil is best, but the plant will get by with just average irrigation. For dazzling impact, consider mass planting it either in your pollinator garden or as a border around flower beds. It will bloom extensively from spring to fall, and you'll find that the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds won't be able to stay away from your garden.

In a flower trial conducted by PennState College of Agricultural Sciences, this particular hybrid achieved a rating score of 4.41 out of 5 for very good overall growth and rich color. The mounded growth habit of this salvia makes it perfect for growing in containers that you can place on a sunny patio, where you can watch all the pollinators flocking to the flowers. You'll actually find that salvias are one of the best container plants that will entice more hummingbirds to visit your yard and garden.

It's a good idea to prune your plant after the first set of blooms to encourage denser growth and many more flowers. If this is your first time growing these plants, you might want to know how to prune salvia for endless blooms all summer. You may even like to mix your plantings up a little by pairing this gorgeous salvia with others in the same series, like 'Jammin Jazz,' 'Rhythm and Blues,' and 'Hummingbird Falls.'