Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Saturday - December 31, 2011
From: Portland, OR
Region: Northwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Pruning, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Cutting back of non-native Salvia Elegans in Portland OR
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I did not trim back my pineapple sage in the fall. It is now winter and the plants are bare sticks. Should I cut them back or leave them alone?ANSWER:
Our first task when we discuss a specific plant is to determine if it is native to North America and to the area where it is being grown, as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Mr. Smarty Plants are dedicated to the growth, propagation and protection of plants native to North America. From Floridata Salvia Elegans:
"Pineapple sage grows naturally in oak and pine scrub forests at elevations from 8,000-10,000 ft (2,438-3,048 m) in Mexico and Guatemala."
We suggest you read the whole article, as this plant will not appear in our Native Plant Database. Some more information in that article that we would highlight is:
"Light: Grow pineapple sage in full sun.
Moisture: Regular watering for best growth and flowering. Pineapple sage will wilt and eventually lose leaves during droughts, but when watering resumes it usually comes back.
Hardiness: Pineapple sage is a semiwoody subshrub in USDA zones 9-11, and an herbaceous perennial, dying to the ground in winter but resprouting in spring, in zones 8-9. Gardeners in colder areas grow pineapple sage as an annual, or bring it indoors in the winter."
On the above information that Salvia elegans was that it would grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones of 9 to 11, it appears that while Multnomah County is in Zone 8b, it definitely is not in the environment in Mexico and Guatemala where the plant grows naturally.
Since that is about the limit of our information on this plant, we will give you some of the standard advice on the genus Salvia. It is semi-woody with a deciduous upper area and perennial. We usually suggest that gardeners trim salvias down to about 6" above the soil in the Winter, leaving that 6" to help you remember where it is. In the Spring it should re-emerge.
More Non-Natives Questions
Native plants for shade in Ennis TX
August 26, 2011 - My house faces south. The southwest side of the front yard has a Pride of Houston, Japanese Barberry, 2 crape myrtles and some dwarf yaupon hollies. The other section, divided by a stairway to the p...
view the full question and answer
Non-native impatiens from Charlottesville VA
June 09, 2011 - Question about type of impatiens. My Alabama mother grew these and called them touch-me-not. They grow about 2 feet tall and blooms grow UNDER the leaf canopy up the stem. Colors I have are pale pink ...
view the full question and answer
Dog-proof grass from The Woodlands TX
April 26, 2013 - I am looking for a hardy grass that can tolerate female dogs urine. Zoysia was suggested but I am concerned about it being invasive. Any suggestions?
view the full question and answer
Propagation of poinsettias in water from Houston
September 06, 2013 - Pointsettias - we have a broken branch that is thriving in a jar of water with new leaves and additional small branches. When we plant the stem in dirt and even a muck, the growth starts to wither.
...
view the full question and answer
Lavender near Austin TX
July 10, 2011 - Are there places to view blooming lavender near Austin in July 2011?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |