- Height 24-48 Inches
- Width 24-36 Inches
- Use as a thriller when using in containers
- Grow as an annual, edible herb or for cut flowers!
This fragrant thriller will be a focal point in your pots or landscape. A salvia with rich colored foliage and blooms, Rockin'® Playin' the Blues® will wow you with its spikes of densely packed flowers. This continuous bloomer is sterile, so it doesn’t set seed, meaning more flowers in your garden. When the blue/purple blooms fall, color remains in the deep blue calyx – the whorls that enclose the flower – making this plant a truly long-season beauty. With an upright, compact habit, Rockin'® Playin' the Blues® grows 24-48 inches tall. It has won awards for top performance and for best-pollinator friendly.
Being drought and heat tolerant, this salvia holds up to hot conditions. It resists deer and rabbits while attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It is native to Texas and Mexico. Use it in mass plantings in the landscape, and as a specimen or focal point in the border or in containers. It works well in the cut-flower garden.
Rockin'® Playin' the Blues® Salvia Care
Fertilize this easy-care plant at the time of planting with a slow-release fertilizer formulated for annuals. Incorporate the fertilizer into the soil according to package instructions. You may plant it in poor-to-average soil; it will thrive even in rocky conditions. It will grow well without supplemental fertility if sited in a well-prepared soil containing compost.
No deadheading or pruning is necessary, but you may want to trim it occasionally to keep it in shape and to promote branching and blooming. It is most important that the soil is well drained as this salvia will not do well in wet, boggy conditions. Likewise, containers should drain well. It likes a location with full to part sun.
Rockin'® Playin' the Blues® Salvia Spacing
Grow Rockin'® Playin' the Blues® in your bigger pots to get better drainage. Place one salvia in the middle with shorter plants around it to spill over the edge. For example, in a 16-inch container plant salvia with two Supertunias® and one euphorbia. In the landscape, space Playin' the Blues® 14-18 inches apart, from center plant to center plant. Place them so that they have good air flow to help plants dry off after the rain and thus avoiding powdery mildew. You will be amazed at how bees are attracted to this plant by its strong, pleasant scent. It is important that we support our native bees; if their numbers are a concern, however, you may want to locate the plant away from a seating area.
Rockin'® Playin' the Blues® Salvia Information
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-10 |
Flower Color(s): Blue, Purple |
Bloom Period: Planting To Hard Frost |
Foliage Color(s) Green |
Light Exposure: Partial Sun to Full Sun |
Height Class: Tall |
Height: 24-48 Inches |
Spread: 24-36 Inches |
Spacing: 14-18 Inches |
Habit: Upright |
Watering: Average |
Drought Tolerant: Yes |
Attracts: Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds |
Resists: Deer |
Container Role: Thriller |
Use Types: Container, Landscape, Mass Planting, Specimen or Focal Point |
Features: Cut Flower, Fall Interest, Continuous Bloom or Rebloomer, Fragrant, Low Maintenance, Deadheading Not Necessary, Pollinator Attractor |
Maintenance: Easy |
Scientific Name: Salvia longispicata x farinacea 'Balsalmispim' USPP 29,604 |
Common Name: Rockin'® Playin' the Blues® Salvia |
Other Name(s): |
Plant Type: Annual |
Brand: Proven Winners |
- SKU:
- SALPBP45
Container Sizes
Please Note: The pictures below are to give a general representation of the different container sizes. The actual size/ages of plants are estimates and will vary based on; type of plant, time of year, last pruning & many other factors.
For more detailed information, please click here.
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Plant Addicts Warranty - 1 Year (Extra Purchase Required)

Guide: How to Care for Your New Plant(s)

Planter Shipping
Standard Colors: 2-3 business days
Special Order Colors: 8 weeks - this is due to the planter being custom made with the color(s) of your choice
Please Note: On special orders there can not be any cancellations
Plant Shipping
Time of Order:
Summer Shipping
- If there is extreme heat we’ll delay shipping.
- We’ll have to review what areas the plants are traveling through along with your location
Once your plant is shipped you’ll receive an email with tracking information. Depending on the above criteria we’ll ship your plant(s) towards beginning of the following week from your order. We put together this helpful guide of what to do when you receive your plants in the mail.
It is important to know that all of our plants are clearly labeled for which growing zones the plant can survive in. The plants are thoroughly trialed and tested in every growing zone before we state the plant can grow in a zone. Again, our #1 priority is to ship the plants to you healthy and ready to thrive in your location. So we will do everything in our power to do so.