Hmm, I’m not doing a very good job of keeping up with botanical names. Either that or I’m making them up as I go. The current and correct name for the featured plant is Salvia lemmonii. So hey, I was right the first time when I was jabbering away and I do like the name that honors botanists John and Sara Lemmon. Oh, and in the past it had been Salvia microphylla var. wislizenii. Arg!
Regardless of the name it’s a beautiful flowering native of our sky islands and found from 6,000’ to 8,000’ in elevation. In a personal landscape I doubt it would like the low desert unless you hid it in a very shady spot and it would still need to live through summer heat. Better to take a hike to your nearest mountain range. It starts to bloom mid summer and into the fall. What a coinkydink, as that’s a great time to escape summer heat and head to the hills!
The photos are mine and taken in the Chiricahua Mountains. If you are a plant geek that loves Salvia spp. you may like the book The New Book of Salvias, sages for every garden, by Betsy Clebsch. And below is a link to SEINet and Salvia lemmonii. Yay!
http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=Salvia+lemmonii&formsubmit=Search+Terms
The original version of the “El Niño Song” aired on KXCI, Tucson’s Community Radio, November 28th 1997. That version can also be found on...
I grew up in Kentucky and the state flower of the state is goldenrod. The particular species that has that honor is Solidago gigantea....
It’s true that life in southeastern Arizona is full of “behold!” moments. It is so exciting to live in such a diverse land, both...
