Update: My "notato" is flowering… Can we finally ID it?

Hey everyone! A couple of months ago, I shared this post about a mystery plant Google Lens incorrectly ID’d as a potato. Back then, it was too young for anyone to be sure what it really was.

Well, now it’s flowering! Do these blooms give you any clearer idea of what it might be? I’m in northern California, and it’s the pink-flowering plant (not the geranium) in case that helps. Thanks in advance for any guesses!

It looks like a Salvia! Maybe Salvia Strawberry Lake? There are a lot of Salvias with similar flowers. :blush:

Harlan said:
It looks like a Salvia! Maybe Salvia Strawberry Lake? There are a lot of Salvias with similar flowers. :blush:

Definitely a Salvia. Hummingbirds absolutely love these plants!

@MarlowReese
I third this—Salvias are great!

It’s a Salvia for sure! And a gorgeous one at that.

It’s likely a winter-blooming Salvia from South America. There are so many stunning pink varieties!

Thanks for the Salvia guesses, everyone! The pink-flowering one (not the geranium) is what I’m asking about. Pretty sure it’s not native since I’m in northern California.

JulesAvery said:
Thanks for the Salvia guesses, everyone! The pink-flowering one (not the geranium) is what I’m asking about. Pretty sure it’s not native since I’m in northern California.

You might want to check out Flowers By the Sea. They used to specialize in Salvias and had an incredible variety. Their catalog might still be up online for reference!

I’m guessing Salvia involucrata. It doesn’t seem like Salvia oxyphora based on the bracts on the flower stems.

It looks like a Salvia to me too! It’s part of the mint family, and you can tell by the square stems instead of round ones.

Definitely a Salvia! They’re my favorite flowering perennials.

Peyton said:
Definitely a Salvia! They’re my favorite flowering perennials.

It might be the variety called ‘Rosebud.’

Looking at the flowers, I’d say it’s definitely a Salvia.

Could it be Salvia puberula?

Looks like a Salvia! I get red Salvias outside my window every summer, and they’re stunning. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

Try Google Lens again—it should do much better with the flowers visible now.

Could it be beardtongue? (Only 5% sure!) You might want to try the ‘PlantNet’ app instead—it’s worked better for me than Google Lens.

I think it’s some kind of bean plant.