Salvia involucrata Bethelii

The Salvia involucrata 'Bethelii' is an impressive bushy perennial full of charm. It forms a mass of leafy stems with a slightly loose habit, flowering from summer until the first frost, with beautiful bright green foliage that lasts into winter in mild climates. Its upright blooms bear lovely spherical, pink and green flower buds, which open to reveal crimson-pink flowers. Its large downy leaves release a grapefruit scent upon the slightest touch. This aromatic plant is not very hardy in humid and cold winter climates. It thrives in well-drained, ordinary garden soil, even clayey and moist, in a sunny or semi-shaded position. Plant it in a large pot that can be overwintered under cover to grow it in a wider range of climates.

The Salvia involucrata 'Bethelii' belongs to the family Lamiaceae or Labiatae. This natural cultivar of Salvia involucrata is native to the high plateaus of Mexico, where it is found in shady sites, on the edge of woodlands or in sparse forests. Its origin explains its tenderness. With its spectacular growth, the plant is capable of forming a small bush in a single season, forming a beautiful branching clump consisting of long flexible stems, 1 m (3.3 ft) to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) high and wide, consisting of long flexible stems, woody at the base. The long-stalked very aromatic leaves, are larger and more velvety than the usual. They are opposite, ovate, bright green, sometimes veined with purplish pink. From the month of July until October-November, the branches develop floral spikes at their tips. Each bud is composed of large coloured bracts gathered in a collar. The bracts open and fall one after the other, revealing bright rose tubular, bilabiate flowers ranging from bright pink to carmine, measuring from 3 to 5 cm (1.2 to 2 in) in length. The petals have a central swelling and a very hairy upper lip. The nectar- and pollen-rich flowers can also occur in spring, when the plant is not affected by the cold. Hardy above -5°C (23°F) in a protected location and in dry soil during winter.

In the wild, Salvia involucrata 'Bethelii' grows in rather moist, fertile but well-drained soils, in a subtropical, mountain climate. It is also a valuable plant for pollinating insects, as it provides a good source of nectar and pollen when most other flowers have long since finished in the garden. This generous and charming perennial is perfect for English-style gardens, at the back of borders, combined with hollyhocks, shrubby mallows, or the grey and fragrant foliage of large wormwoods. Placed in front of a small winged spindle tree (Euonymus alatus compactus), a smoke tree (Cotinus), or a plum-leafed spirea, its bright pink flowers will blend with their magnificent autumn colours. In regions where the winter is mild, it can form beautiful flowering hedges together with rosemary, Caryopteris, and Teucrium fruticans. The stems are square in cross-section and bear white flowers surrounded at the base by a velvety, purple-blue, amethyst-purple or purplish-lavender calyx. The inconspicuous flowers are composed of two lips, white to pinkish in colour. The evergreen foliage is made up of thick, long, thin leaves with toothed edges. The plant's tissues contain an essential oil with interesting properties that has recently been studied. It is hardy above -5°C (23°F) in protected locations and in dry soil in winter.