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Rockin'® Blue Suede Shoes Salvia hybrid

Flower Season
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall
Mature Size
3'4" 2'6" 1.0m 76cm
Height: 2'6" - 3'4"
Spread: 2' - 2'6"
Height: 76cm - 1.0m
Spread: 61cm - 76cm
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  • Details

    30 - 40 Inches
    18 - 24 Inches
    24 - 30 Inches
    76cm - 1.0m
    46cm - 61cm
    61cm - 76cm

    Features

    Light blue flowers each with a black calyx on tough plants. Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees all love it, which makes it great plant for pollinator gardens.

    Award Winner
    Continuous Bloom or Rebloomer
    Long Blooming
    Heat Tolerant
    Deadheading Not Necessary
    Drought Tolerant
    Attracts: 
    Bees
    Butterflies
    Hummingbirds
    Resists: 
    Deer

    Characteristics

    Plant Type: 
    Annual
    Height Category: 
    Tall
    Garden Height: 
    30 - 40 Inches 76cm - 1.0m
    Spacing: 
    18 - 24 Inches 46cm - 61cm
    Spread: 
    24 - 30 Inches 61cm - 76cm
    Flower Colors: 
    Black
    Flower Colors: 
    Blue
    Flower Shade: 
    Crisp Blue and Black
    Foliage Colors: 
    Green
    Foliage Shade: 
    Deep Green
    Habit: 
    Upright
    Container Role: 
    Thriller

    Plant Needs

    Light Requirement: 
    Part Sun to Sun

    The optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).

    Maintenance Category: 
    Easy
    Bloom Time: 
    Planting To Hard Frost
    Hardiness Zones: 
    9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
    Water Category: 
    Average
    Soil Fertility Requirement: 
    Average Soil
    Soil Fertility Requirement: 
    Poor Soil
    Uses: 
    Border Plant
    Uses: 
    Container
    Uses: 
    Landscape
    Uses: 
    Mass Planting
    Uses Notes: 

    Use in containers and landscapes. This plant is a pollinator attracting machine, beloved by pollinators of many types. 

    Maintenance Notes: 

    This is a wonderful annual Salvia (except in frost free zones) compact and richly colored it is easy and trouble free. It is sterile so it will not set seed and that means it will just bloom, and bloom and bloom all season without stopping.

    You can easily trim to keep the shape or size where you want it, and it will branch out and become even thicker and more full of flowers.

    Regular watering and fertilizing will keep the plant at maximum color and growth but it is amazingly tough and once established in a pot of the garden will tolerate lower levels of food and water. However, severe drought will cause lower leaves to drop and if this happens give it a quick haircut removing the upper 1/3 of growth and once it back to normal watering it will fill back in.

    Rockin'® Blue Suede Shoes Salvia hybrid 'BBSAL01301' USPP 32,694, Can 6,573
  • 22 Reviews

    5
    14
    4
    4
    3
    1
    2
    1
    1
    2
    Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant.
    • Bought these plants at a local nursery 3 weeks ago and dying one after the other. Despite I was told they tolerate Florida’s sun, I don’t think they do.

      Arianna nenci
      , Florida
      , United States
      , 24 weeks ago
    • Put this in the ground in May and it just sat there, but it really took off at the end of August, growing thrice as big. The hummingbirds seem to like it, and I like the color.

      Tk
      , Illinois
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
    • Put this in the ground in May and it just sat there, but it really took off at the end of August, growing thrice as big. The hummingbirds seem to like it, and I like the color.

      Tk
      , Illinois
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
    • Got this plant near the end of April/early May. Planted it and the poor thing was eaten up by pincer bugs before it was able to grow much. Flash forward to September 6th and this plant is the most beautiful one in my garden! It has grown about 2 feet high and spread 3 foot. So many blooms on it. The shape and habit reminds me of a hydrangea. I’m in zone 5 so I am going to dig her up for the winter and put up in the garage so I can enjoy her next year too!

      Claire
      , Illinois
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
    • I was really excited at first to add these to my garden. I'm not sure why but every last one of the plants I ordered died. All of my other salvias I have are flourishing including the Playing the Blues so I don't think it was because of my soil or zone. Very disappointing.

      Lana Berkman
      , Florida
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
    • I bought this plant from a local nursery spring, 2019. I live in zone 6a/b. It actually came back the next two years but I didn't see it last year. (Or, maybe I cut it back hard/pulled it out thinking it was a weed?). This year, it came back, and is now blooming!!!

      Marcia
      , Missouri
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
    • Terrific in this year's garden. It's a round-the-clock buffet for pollinators! By day, it's loaded with many species of bees and butterflies. And at night, it's a treat for moths. By far the most "active" plant in the garden from May to October.

      Dezigner Grrl
      , Maryland
      , United States
      , 2 years ago
    • Gorgeous!

      Laura Bachmann
      , Illinois
      , United States
      , 2 years ago
    • 7a plant zone. 4hrs of sun and the plant is doing very well. Just move Rockin Fuchsia to a very sunny location to see how they’ll do in 6 -8hrs of sun. The Hummingbirds have the salvias all to themselves because I have other plants for the bees and butterflies to choose from. I also have Vermillionaire plants and the hummers love those to but these salvias are first before they go to the the Vermillionaire’s. I hope PW’s continues with more pollinator plant's. It’s not only enjoyable to watch the pollinators but makes us feel that us gardeners are helping the smallest of creatures to survive.

      Bea
      , Virginia
      , United States
      , 3 years ago
    • My Salvia is just coming into its own and is looking great. Wish I had ordered more!

      Sandra Weatherford
      , South Carolina
      , United States
      , 3 years ago
  • 41 Awards

    Award Year Award Plant Trial
    2023 Top Performer University of Florida - Fort Lauderdale
    2023 Perfect Score Oklahoma State University Botanical Gardens
    2023 Perfect Score Michigan State University
    2023 Top Performer Boerner Botanical Garden
    2023 Director's Select Penn State University
    2023 Top Performer - in ground University of Minnesota - Grand Rapids
    2023 Leaders of the Pack - beds North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
    2023 Rated #1 in the Top Ten - beds North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
    2023 Top Performer University of Tennessee - Knoxville
    2023 Top Performer Ohio State University Chadwick Arboretum - Springfield
  • 3 More colors

  • 3 Recipes

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