Plant of the month

One of my favourite plants in the garden right now is this beauty:

She is Salvia involucrata 'Bethellii', which I purchased from a plant stall at Ballarat Botanic Gardens a few years ago.

I thought I'd bought a dud at first because she just produced vast quantities of leaves for months after planting. Just as I'd about given up on her, late into autumn, she decided to put up these fabulous flowers.

She is also know as Roseleaf sage, and is a native of Mexico. Sure enough, she is renowned as a late but glorious bloomer, producing hot pink blossoms across the winter.

She is quite a large plant growing well over a metre tall and wide, and has a reckless, sprawling habit. She needs plenty of room to spread her arching branches. 

I guess some would call her messy, but she redeems her untidiness with prolific and spectacular blooms. She is a treasure in the winter garden, and testament to the adage of not judging by first appearances!