Hi,

Has anyone grown this plant before. I just got a quart pot from the NY botanical gardens. The color on the photograph was too beautiful to leave it sitting in the garden shop.

Pam, on the other hand did not succumb to it's charms.

Suchie

Why buy it when I can have free cuttings???? I don't know about you, but after almost 6 hours walking through those AWESOME gardens leaves me exhausted. Heading for the Hot Tub amd bed fairly early tonight.

We had such a good time. The gardens were amazing! And we were both floored at the # of Hummer friendly plants we spotted. Unfortunately we had to get back to OUR YARDS to actually see hummers, but isn't that always the way??? I have tons of pics, but Manana. I'm just too tired to do it.

You should of Heard Suchie, she was like a kid in a candy store, a little embarrassing at times.

Pam NJ 6B

Pam and Suchie,
I am looking forward to hearing all about your exertion to the 'City' as soon as you all are rested up.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

I have grown it before. It's beautiful but very fussy It prefers to be in the hot dry desert I think it's related to greggi but the leaves are a lovely gray and the flower is a beautiful blue does not get tall more like a shorter greggii

Pam I saw tons of hummingbirds there in September in their native plant garden. Never saw that many at Longwood anytime of year. But I do see them at Jenkins arboretum here in Devon now.

sarah merion station, Pennsylvania zone 6B

Sarah,

The foliage is what attracted me to the plant and the blue flower in the picture was icing on the cake. I have it in a fairly dry area and hope it takes off. It has been listed as zone 6 in some sites, but most list it as zone 7. I also read that it spreads quite a bit via underground runners.

At NYBG they are renovating the native garden, however there were several plants for hummers spread through out the gardens. Maybe they frequent the area during fall migration.

Suchie

It survived at Palmyra for a few years. Being a guy my color judgement is suspect but it never seemed true blue to me. Over its several years in the garden it suffered a number of rounds of wilt and the last round inspired some helpful person to pull the plant out entirely and chuck it in the road. Maybe it was for the best.

Ward,

That does not sound very promising for a plant that I carried all the way from NYC. I am hoping I'll feel differently about it. Fortunately it only cost $6.75.

Suchie

You may have much better success than I have had. I love the gray foliage.