The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-05-01
THE RED SALIVA.
A Plant of Great Possibilities.

The Saliva is worthy of all the praise
bestowed upon it in an article which
we copy from the American Agricul-
turist. In F Florida, owing to Our much
longer season, it grows to still great
er size than at the North, and blooms
more freely.
Among the popular American home
decorative plants that have acquired
distinction for their high value, both
as individuals and for use in mass ef-
fects, is the red SALIVA, or, scarlet sage,
as it is locally known by many. This
beautiful and interesting plant is grow
ing more and more in favor, both with
the general public and landscape gar
deners, because Of it's decided individ-
uality Of shape, color and size, making
it so highly valuable in the beautifying
OF home grounds and landscapes on a
large scale. Arranged with other
plants in color scheme, the gardener
is always sure of his results, because
the blossoms are always snowy and
deep red the fiery flower stalks rising
above the mass OF fohage like spires
and sentinels, and the plants, under
ordinary conditions, are oval and solid
They never straggle, but always stand
prim and erect to the last.
Red being a primary color, appeals
to all, both young and old. We may
decry red as too loud or bold for
clothing, or interior, or exterior deco
rations, but not so in Nature; among
flowers red is always in style, and the
glow Of sunset sky without it's fam
ing brilliancy would be a failure Oh
the great maple on the hilltop under
October skies, with it's myriad winged
foliage laughing to the valleys below
Its virtues, not its sins, are scarlet
The color Of the SALIVA is striking, but
warm and cheerful, and the senses will
always come back to it for complete
color qualification. And there is no
red blossomed plant that red becomes
so we'll as it does the SALIVA. 1t would
be poor plant, indeed, in any other
color, although we are told that some
are foolish enough to grow varieties
widely diverging from the standard
original type.
The saliva is a valuable plant owing
to its plastic nature, so to speak Its
range of adaptabi1ity is very great. It
is always a beautiful plant as an in
dividual, used in an exclusive group
with it's own kind, in groups with
other plants, in square beds, in
oblong beds, in round beds, as a
border, a foundation, a hedge, or to
round out corners. In fact, there
seems to be no decorative. use to which
plants can be put in any situation, in
doors or out of doors, in which the
SALIVA cannot be effectively used.
Not only is the saliva used for home
decorations, but it is also used pro-
fusely in small and large parks OF
towns and cities. It's presence in a
landscape garden, through its bri1liancy
of coloring, is always attractive and
pleasing. Under the hand of a slil1ful
gardener it will do wonders; the anna
teur will not go far astray in using it
1avis111y 1t is an educative plant for
him to work with. A well-known park
last season had at least % per cent OF
its floral area set with this attractive
plant 1t was in beds and borders,
edgings for beds of large plants such
as tall cannas, in mixed groupings, in
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