Salvia jamensis California Sunset

Salvia x jamensis 'California Sunset' is a variety of shrubby sage with a unique, rather fascinating colour. This well-branched plant produces a multitude of small flowers from May-June until November, with a colour that is a blend of soft orange and pink, warmed by a small yellow glow at the heart, producing an evocative hue like the glow of sunset. They bloom from salmon-orange buds among a strongly aromatic, semi-evergreen foliage, of a bright green colour. Hardy down to -10/-12 °C in perfectly drained soil, its long gently orange flowering will enhance that of its 'Bleu Armor' cousin – which is an amazing cobalt blue – as well as all the blue or white flowers in the garden, in the ground or in pots.

Salvia x jamensis is a natural hybrid of Salvia greggii and Salvia microphylla, frequently found in the mountains of Mexico. 'California Sunset' is an excellent cultivar recently obtained in the US from this cross-breeding. Like all salvias, it belongs to the large family of Lamiaceae or labiates. This well-branched shrubby perennial has a bushy, branched and spreading habit, wider than it is tall. It will reach about 70 cm (27.6 in) in height (sometimes up to 90 cm (35.4 in) in very fertile soil and a mild climate), with a diameter of 70 cm (27.6 in). The nectar-rich and honey-producing flowering is particularly generous, starting from the end of spring, continuing in summer with some watering in dry climates, and until autumn from September to November if the cold does not put an end to it. The elongated flowers emerge from the foliage, grouped in long spikes. They measure no more than 2 cm (0.8 in) in length, and are adorned with an intermediate shade between that of the 'Ribambelle' (pastel-salmon) and 'Peach' (orange) varieties . They only live for a day, covering the ground with their petals in the evening, but will already be replaced the next morning. The foliage, evergreen in mild climates, resembles that of Salvia greggii: it is composed of small, shiny, thick and aromatic oval leaves, which are somewhat sticky, releasing with heat an essential oil with a strong acidic odour. They measure from 1 to 2 cm (0.4 to 0.8 in) in length.

The lower, yellower light of autumn enhances the flowering of shrubby salvias, which capture the light through their petals like tiny stained glass windows. These plants are part of those that have contributed to the notoriety of the Salvia genus: minimal maintenance, but almost uninterrupted flowering from spring to frost. They can be found in English cottages, and Mediterranean gardens where they last until Christmas. This 'California Sunset' sage will accompany the spring blooms of rock roses, rosemary, and bellflowers. But its association with mauve or blue autumn asters is fabulous: choose those that require little, like Aster laevis, Aster cordifolius or Aster amellus, for example. Gauras, tall sedums (Sedum 'Matrona'), shrubby cinquefoils, and the silver foliage of artemisias or cinerarias will compose a charming tableau with it. On the terrace, place it in a large pot, covering its base with Cerastostigma plumbaginoides, right next to a Cape leadwort; the colour combination in October is fantastic!

In Mexico, a tasty tea is prepared with the leaves of this sage, where it is known locally as 'mountain myrtle'.