Salvia iodantha is big, flashy and unruly. Masses of fuchsia/magenta/red-purple flowers begin in mid-Autumn and continue on for months on long canes.
I find the plant impossible to tame, although I’m not a persistent pruner. Left to itself, canes grow from the base to many metres long, then arch over at flowering time. When I have pruned it, it didn’t respond by bushing out, just sent out single branches of the canes, resulting in an unappealing shape. It’s definitely one for the background if you don’t mind it falling over surrounding plants.
The leaves are a dull mid-green, about 110 mm long and 50 mm wide, on 50 mm petioles. Leaf margins are serrated to points, and the leaf draws to a fine tip. They have an attractive light camphor scent when crushed.
The flowers are 40 mm long, and thin, out of a short green calyx. They are very densely held on spikes, and tend to hang below the stems which are held horizontally by flowering time. The terminal flower spike is around 200 mm long, and it is followed down the stem by progressively smaller secondary spikes.
Salvia iodantha grows easily and robustly in a frost-free climate, and is one of the classic Winter salvias. Cuttings take without problem, and can be planted into full sun or part shade. Just the usual well drained and moist soil is needed. It has survived drought here but sulked for a while. I’m sure if you tired of it’s over-arching habit you could cut it down after flowering and it would come again strongly in Spring.