Rockin' Blue Suede Shoes Salvia (Salvia 'Rockin' Blue Suede Shoes')
SAL-vee-ah 'Rockin' Blue Suede Shoes'

Deciduous Perennial (usually grown as an annual near you) Upright, Bushy in the Lamiaceae Family
A tall, vigorous hummingbird sage with light purplish-blue flowers set in near-black calyces, blooming until frost.

Salvia 'Rockin\' Blue Suede Shoes' (code 'BBSAL01301') is a tall, vigorous hybrid sage bred by Brent D. Barnes for Plant 21 and sold through Proven Winners' Rockin' series. It produces light purplish-blue flowers set in striking near-black calyces on an upright, bushy plant.

It is sterile and needs no deadheading, blooming continuously from planting until a hard frost. Grown as a warm-season annual in Chicago.

Pros

  • Vigorous, tall habit with continuous bloom from planting until frost
  • Sterile - no deadheading needed to keep it blooming
  • Strong hummingbird, bee, and butterfly magnet
  • Deer resistant; tolerates drought once established

Cons

  • Not winter-hardy in Chicago; grown as an annual
  • Lower leaves can drop after severe drought stress - trim back the top third to encourage fresh growth
This plant is probably not winter-hardy outdoors where you live.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 30 - 40 inches tall. 24 - 30 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 9a - 11b (Usually hardy to 20° F)
Tags Annual in Chicago, Attracts Bees, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Full Sun, Medium, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Tender Perennial
Bloom Period June to October
Flower Color Light Purplish-Blue with Near-Black Calyces
 

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Rockin' Blue Suede Shoes Salvia, Red Zip Cabbage Palm, Silver Falls Dichondra, Lakota Fire Coneflower, Diamond Mountain Euphorbia, Blue My Mind Dwarf Morning Glory, Lime Light Hydrangea, Luscious Marmalade Lantana, Luscious Goldengate Lantana, Denim 'n Lace Russian Sage, Supertunia Black Cherry, Supertunia Bordeaux Petunia, Supertunia Vista Fuchsia, Supertunia Vista Snowdrift Petunia, Tiger Eyes Staghorn Sumac, Rockin' Deep Purple Salvia, Rockin' Fuchsia Salvia, ColorBlaze Apple Brandy Coleus, ColorBlaze Torchlight Coleus, Snowstorm Pink Bacopa, Superbena Large Lilac Blue Verbena, Meteor Shower Verbena,
 
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Pricing and Availability History

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

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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.


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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!