by Leslie Cox; Monday; January 13, 2025

Photo by Coolings Garden Centre

Do you know…

                 …what the letter “x” means in a plant name? (Example: Salvia x superba)

That single letter indicates to horticulturalists and avid gardeners the plant is a cross between two different plant genus species. Unfortunately, the name following that “x” does not tell us which two species were used to make the cross…or hybrid as the new plant will be classified as in general terms.

But sometimes we can be fooled as some nurseries drop the important “x” when they are making the plant labels. Inadvertently in most cases, I am sure.

One such example of this omission is Salvia superba. As a result of the “x” being dropped from its name in most instances, its exact parentage has become muddied over time. One source says the parents of Salvia x superba are Salvia sylvestris and Salvia villicaulis while another source claims the parents are Salvia sylvestris and Salvia amplexicaulis. Still others lump Salvia x superba in the Salvia nemerosa group which is a dwarf type of salvia nowhere near the 39-inch (1 m) height of S. x superba.

And to further muddy the waters…you can also find plants labeled as Salvia ‘Superba’ which would typically indicates that plant is actually a unique cultivar of salvia and not a hybrid at all.

Small wonder gardeners have problems keeping plant names straight. In the past, it was the Latin name rather than the common name which would accurately identify a plant. Now it seems at least some Latin names can be confusing as well.

I envision it will come down to the genetic biologists to keep our knowledge base straight in the long run.