Blue-Sage (Eranthemum purpurascens)
Description
Eranthemum pulchellum comes from India, Himalaya and West China. Its name means 'lovely flower' and its panicles of rich or paler blue blooms are indeed very pretty when they appear in late winter and early spring. Sometimes known as the blue sage bush, it grows into a shrub about 1 m tall and is most useful for a shaded part of the garden, where other plants may struggle. It has attractive veined leaves. I have seen it paired very effectively with the beetroot-coloured leaves of Iresine herbstii 'Brilliantissima' in a shady garden spot. I also like it grown nearby cream Clivia miniata and pale blue Iris japonica or Iris wattii, which have lovely blooms of the same hue as the Eranthemum at the same time, and enjoy a shaded spot in the garden. I also like to pair Eranthemum with the shade-tolerant annual honesty, which flowers at the same time and has similar simple, open flowers, which are white or purple.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Lamiales
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Family: Acanthaceae
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Genus: Eranthemum
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