Botanical Name: Salvia hybrid (S. longispicata × S. farinacea) ‘Rockin’® Blue Suede Shoes™’ Common Name: Blue Salvia Hardiness Zone: Perennial in USDA Zones 8–10 (Grown as an Annual in Colder Climates) Size: 24–36" Tall × 24–36" Spread Growth Habit: Upright, Vigorous, Well-Branched Habit Sunlight: Full Sun Soil: Well-Drained Soil; Adapts to Average Garden Conditions Water Needs: Low to Moderate; Drought Tolerant Once Established Bloom Season: Late Spring through Frost Fertilizer: Light Feeding in Spring; Avoid Excess Nitrogen Features: Deep Indigo-Blue Flower Spikes, Strong Stems, Heat & Humidity Tolerant, Excellent Pollinator Plant Uses: Landscape Beds, Pollinator Gardens, Mass Plantings, Back-of-Border Plantings

Patent: ✔ Patented Propagation: ❌ Propagation Prohibited Without License

See our Salvia Plant Guide for more in depth care details on Salvia.

More About Salvia ‘Rockin’® Blue Suede Shoes™’

Salvia ‘Rockin’® Blue Suede Shoes™ is a high-performance landscape salvia bred for gardeners who want big color, strong structure, and nonstop bloom. The deep indigo-blue flower spikes are held well above the foliage on sturdy stems, creating bold vertical interest from late spring through fall. Unlike many salvias that slow down or stretch in midsummer, this variety maintains a full, upright habit and continues flowering aggressively even in extreme heat and humidity.

Why We Like It (Our Trials)

In our trials, ‘Blue Suede Shoes™’ has been a true heat-season powerhouse, thriving in full sun, poor soils, and long periods of high temperatures. It does not flop, resists lodging after storms, and keeps producing fresh flower spikes with minimal maintenance. We especially appreciate its landscape reliability. This is a salvia that performs at scale—excellent for mass plantings, commercial landscapes, and home gardens where consistency matters.

Rockin’® Blue Suede Shoes™ vs. Other Salvia Varieties

Salvia ‘Rockin’® Blue Suede Shoes™ earns its reputation through sheer reliability, combining saturated blue flower spikes with a sturdy, upright frame. Within the Rockin’® Series, Blue Suede Shoes™ offers the same high-performance growth as Rockin’® Fuchsia, but with a cooler blue tone and a slightly more restrained presence that blends more easily into mixed color palettes. Instead of behaving like compact bedding salvias such as Mirage™ Blue or Purple & Bloom, it develops into a broader, taller plant that reads as a true garden anchor rather than an accent. When placed near softer, more free-form salvias like Wendy’s Wish, its growth feels more deliberate and architectural, giving plantings a stronger sense of order. 

In terms of overall performance, Blue Suede Shoes™ sits between novelty-driven and wildlife-first salvias, favoring structure and consistency over dramatic quirks. Compared to Salvia Black & Blue, it trades extreme height and open form for density and visual weight, making it easier to use in mass plantings. Against Hot Lips, it offers a single, dependable color rather than seasonal variation, which appeals to gardeners who value predictability. For gardeners wanting a blue salvia that looks intentional, fills space confidently, and stays composed all season, Rockin’® Blue Suede Shoes™ delivers a well-balanced middle ground.