Salvia ‘Van Houttei’ is a lovely plant with distinctive burgundy flowers that start on the new growth in Spring, then carry on through the warm months and right through Winter if conditions allow. Flower spikes are generous and held above the foliage.
It is a cultivar of Salvia splendens, and Betsy Clebsch lists it within that species, although it bears less resemblance to the modern splendens bedding cultivars. BC also reports that it was named after Belgian nurseryman Louis Benoit Van Houtte, which helps me remember the spelling.
Description
In a favourable position S. ‘Van Houttei’ can grow over 2 m tall, but generally is about 1.5 m. It’s a bushy rather than caney salvia, so forms a neat mound densely covered in foliage. Leaves are dark green with pale undersides and serrated edges, around 90 mm long, broad at the base and tapering to a fine point. Flowers are quite large, around 55 mm long and an eye catching burgundy, shading to red on the lower lip. Calyces are a slightly bluer colour and 20 mm long. The flower spikes are up to 200 mm long, with 20 or so pairs of flowers fairly loosely spaced. Calyces hang on for a while, helping the colour show, and fortunately they stay coloured rather than fading to straw.
Cultivation
Here ‘Van Houttei’ requires shade. Although it is fine with some sun, even midday sun through the short days, it needs some respite. It also appreciates steady soil moisture and is one of the salvias I water weekly during hot dry Spring weather.
You can prune it back at any time in a warm climate, although Winter makes sense as you lose fewer flowers.
I haven’t seen it set seed, but it grows easily from cuttings. Cold climate gardeners over-winter cuttings, as apparently it doesn’t come back well from frost.