Playin' the Blues Salvia (Salvia 'Rockin' Playin' the Blues')
SAL-vee-ah 'Rockin' Playin' the Blues'

Deciduous Perennial (usually grown as an annual near you) Upright, Bushy in the Lamiaceae Family
An exceptional bee and pollinator plant with blue-purple flower spikes held in persistent deep-blue calyces, blooming until frost.

Salvia 'Rockin\' Playin\' the Blues' (registered name 'Balsalmispim') is a Salvia longispicata x farinacea hybrid bred by Scott C. Trees for Ball Horticultural, sold through Proven Winners' Rockin' series. It is a chemically-induced mutation of the original 'Playin\' the Blues' ('Balsalmisp', also known as Mystic Spires Blue). It produces blue-purple to light violet flowers; the deep blue calyces persist after the petals drop, so the spikes keep looking in bloom.

It blooms from planting until a hard frost and is grown as a warm-season annual in Chicago. It was named a Penn State Top Performer and won Best Pollinator-Friendly Perennial at the Dallas Arboretum in 2018 for its exceptional bee activity.

Pros

  • Outstanding bee and pollinator plant (Dallas Arboretum Best Pollinator-Friendly Perennial, Penn State Top Performer, both 2018)
  • Persistent blue calyces keep flower spikes looking colorful even after petals drop
  • Sterile - no deadheading needed
  • Deer resistant; hardier than most Rockin' series siblings

Cons

  • Not winter-hardy in Chicago; grown as an annual
  • Attracts heavy bee traffic - best kept away from seating areas, per Proven Winners
  • Dislikes consistently wet soil
This plant is probably not winter-hardy outdoors where you live.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 24 - 48 inches tall. 24 - 36 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 7a - 10b (Usually hardy to 0° F)
Tags Annual in Chicago, Attracts Bees, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Full Sun, Medium, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Tender Perennial
Bloom Period June to October
Flower Color Blue-Purple with Persistent Blue Calyces
 

Plant Club Content

Photos of This with...

Playin' the Blues Salvia, Diamond Frost Spurge, Superbena Stormburst Verbena, Surefire Rose Begonia, Beedance Red Stripe Bidens, Superbells Double Orchid Calibrachoa, Superbells Yellow Chiffon Calibrachoa, Flambe Yellow Strawflower, Senorita Rosalita Spider Flower, Thailand Giant Elephant Ear, Vermillionaire Firecracker Plant, Mystic Enchantment Dahlia, Lakota Fire Coneflower, Diamond Mountain Euphorbia, Blue My Mind Dwarf Morning Glory, Zohar Sunflower, Licorice Splash Variegated Helichrysum, Patti's Pink Laurentia, Pink Chablis Deadnettle, Lantana, Luscious Marmalade Lantana, Luscious Bananarama Lantana, Luscious Pinkberry Blend Lantana, Royale Pina Colada Lantana, Violet Knight Sweet Alyssum, Gold Dust Mecardonia, Cat's Meow Catmint, Graceful Grasses Purple Fountain Grass, Supertunia Black Cherry, Honey Supertunia, Supertunia Lovie Dovie Petunia, Mojave Tangerine Purslane, Black & Bloom Salvia, Whirlwind Blue Fan Flower, Lemon Coral Stonecrop, Pink Chablis Showy Stonecrop, Snowstorm Blue Bacopa, Snowstorm Giant Snowflake, Snowstorm Snow Globe Bacopa, Verbena, Meteor Shower Verbena, Zahara Starlight Rose Zinnia, Zahara XL Fire Zinnia, Zahara XL Pink Zinnia, Zahara Yellow Improved Zinnia,
 
Want More photos of this plant? Try Google Image Search!
 


Pricing and Availability History

Click a label to toggle visibility for that size

Past Availability
2025 : 02/05 - 05/17
2024 : 02/08 - 05/18
2023 : 03/02 - 05/21

© North Shore Plant Club 2026. Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions.

Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


Estimated Recipe Cost

The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


Benefits of Membership

Want a better way to get great plants and make your yard look awesome? Create your account below and get:

  • The best plants… from the same sources the pros use, but at near wholesale prices
  • More plants in more sizes than anywhere else… whether you’re looking for classics or rarities; annuals, perennials or shrubs; one plant or a whole yardful!
  • "No Contact" delivery or easy pick-up at a site near you without fighting the retail crowds. You choose!

Membership is free, but — since we rely on delivery and local pick-up — you have to live near one of our hubs (or be willing to drive to a site to pick them up). If you live farther away, and would like to help us bring the club to your neighbors, please email helpusgrow@northshoreplantclub.com.

Already a member?
Login
No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!