Hi everyone,

So apparently Sally D is perfectly fine with sub zero temperatures.... one of the little ladies that was forgotten outside a few months ago and was found to be having a great time dealing with the Temps. The temps have been from 39* F all the way down to 5*F the last few months up here in the far norther hemisphere.

This was rather strange to me so I figured I'd share.

Looks like this

Wow! Thats amazing. Makes one curious about growing an outdoor plant up here...

How long has it been outside? Also has it been watered or rained on? Though it looks like it would stay moist for a long time with that big pot and plastic liner.

I'm curious what strain/variety that is? I've had lots of la fuerza clones die when I've left them out in even moderately cold > freezing temps. I'm quite surprised to see a salvia alive after extensive exposure to freezing temps. I want a clone of that strain.

Wow, I am *shocked.*

It may be time to to take a cutting from my salvia to see what it can survive.

Blessings
~ND

I'd give that a shot myself, if I had a plant or two...

There are reports of established Salvia divinorum plants surviving severe freezing of the stems, shooting from the rootstock after the stems and foliage have been reduced to a mush.

It 's been outside since may, it just never died back when the other plants did which was strange, at that point it was set in the corner and forgot about. It Was hit with rain, fog, mist, sleet and snow so it got watered by nature periodically. It just never ended up dying although the leaves did curl a small amount like in the pic but it's been like that for some time since It got cold.

Salvia divinorum is NOT fine with sub-zero temperatures.
An outdoor plant has its own micro-climate, depending on where it is located, and the temperatures it experiences may not be the same as reported outdoor temperatures.

Here’s a test: Take your salvia plant and put it in your freezer for 24 hours.
If it’s still alive after that, I’ll eat my hat (and my salvia).

I thought the same but it's been going alright out there to my amazement, my guess is the large amount of soil in the pot is what's saving the plant... also tell us more about these micro climates if you would.


There are a bunch of stems with root system from plants that have been cut down scattered around outside, ill track some down and see if they are still alive by any chance. If one is still good I'll shove it in the freezer.

Yes, it is strange and quite fortunate to have survived that climate.. salvia originating from Oaxaca, it is surprising. However, I would not be surprised if that specimen has zero diterpenoid content, unless you are able to revive it, than it may produce.. but even then, I have never grown salvia myself yet, so my experience is limited.

Good luck!

Many things can affect the temperature in the vicinity of a plant: If it’s growing close to a building with a southern exposure, or if it’s partially covered with dead leaves or mulch, or has many neighboring plants around it – all of these things and more can help to keep it warm when the temperature drops.

Ahh that's makes sense thanks for the explanation you learn something new everyday !! I'm still impressed none the less

Here are two more that had leaves harvest and we're tossed into the garden months ago still doing ok even in the snow

Just wish i could save her and give lots of warm love!

Reporting back with a follow up, after some recent freezing rain miss Sally met her demise. I'm still very impressed with the length of time she survived in those conditions.

Am I reading this right? You harvested some leaves and then threw the plants out? They'll sprout new leaves you know...

Sorry if I'm misinterpreting or if I just missed something. It just seems kind of odd to toss obviously well-rooted plants.

No the entire plant was harvested for cuttings on almost all of the plants except like 2 at which point there was no room left. Young plants grow much more rapidly & the mothers just stop at a certain height and never regain that vigor especially after taking cuttings at least in my experience.