There is supposedly an unwritten rule in the plant breeding world: If the new plant is not orange then it may be called blue. I am forever being told that a plant I am touting is not blue but is purple, lavender or ... well, you get the drift. There will, however, be no argument over one of the most celebrated salvias, Rockin Blue Suede Shoes.

By celebrated I mean 38 awards stretching from Canada to Florida including several Perfect Score trophies. Oh yes, it is definitely blue in color. If you are a salvia aficionado, you can’t help but think that some of the DNA is Salvia guaranitica or anise-scented sage. The tag will tell you it is cold hardy in zone 9 and warmer and will reach about 40 inches tall.

I am in zone 8 west Georgia and have never lost one to old man winter. All my clumps are 6 to 7 years old and reach 5 to 6 feet in height as of June 1. They are at the top of the menu for the ruby-throated hummingbirds. You will find hummingbirds from May until late October as they fatten up for the trip to the tropics. This is when you realize how special it is to have a plant with beautiful flowers from spring through fall feeding hummingbirds that will migrate.

But it’s not just hummingbirds; it’s butterflies too. I am amazed to see migrating monarchs stopping by to partake of the nectar in these large tubular flowers offer. You’ll find Rockin Blue Suede Shoes attracting all your favorite butterflies and bees too! Best of all, they are not on the deer dinner menu.

Butterflies like the eastern tiger swallowtail, spicebush swallowtail, gulf fritillary and an assortment of yellow sulphur species frequent the blooms creating nature’s complementary color scheme.

Rockin Blue Suede Shoes salvia is really an easy plant to grow. The soil need not be luxuriously fertile. It does need to drain well and get plenty of sun to reach its blooming potential.

As I mentioned, mine are fairly large and sometimes spread outward more than the space I want to give them. So, I simply break branches off or separate a portion of the clump. The plant simply keeps growing and performing like the champion it is.

I rarely feel the need to fertilize any of the Rockin salvias. They seem to have just the right amount of vigor. I’ve got Rockin Blue Suede Shoes in four or five places in the landscape, and they don’t seem to be babies when it comes to needing water. But I’ll admit mine are growing in pockets of sun in the forest.

When you consider the height, whether it be 40 inches like the tag says or 60 to 72 inches like those at my house, you will be thinking of back of the border or perhaps as a wall of separation in a long bed. I have created a pollinator bed along the fence separating the front yard from the back that has given me some of my most enjoyable moments.

Along the fence I have Rockin Blue Suede Shoes, Rockin Deep Purple and Rockin Fuchsia salvia and I love when they intermingle. On both ends of the bed, I have Miss Molly butterfly bushes.

If you grow lantanas, you will love the Rockin Blue Suede Shoes as partners. I have some with Luscious Marmalade while my son James uses them with Luscious Royele Cosmo.

If you find yourself longing to create a backyard habitat, salvia needs to have a role. Rockin Blue Suede Shoes, Fuchsia and Deep Purple are award winners that will bloom from late spring through frost.

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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)

(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)

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