The earth tone Horace's dusky wing skipper alights on the side of a blue dragon head shaped blossom. The blooms are stacked in a whorl pattern on it’s square green stem forming a Salvia azurea spike . The upper lip of the tubular blossom is hooded and is shorter than the three-lobed lower lip, which serves as a landing pad for pollinators. The Dusky wings long curled proboscis unfolds into the white throat of the delicate bloom to which it clings. In return for nectar the Dusky wing pollinates the flower.
The native Salvia produces square tall arching stems that terminate into large, branching, flower spikes. It’s opposite placed grey-green leaves are narrow with slight notches. If you rub the leaves you release a minty aroma.
I see in most gardens the hybrid Salvia with compact green foliage. It is unfortunate that the pollinators are not attracted to the short hybrid.
Salvia is a favorite of North American butterflies, bees, moths and hummingbirds.