Eranthemum pulchellum (Blue Sage)

Native from northern Pakistan through the Indian subcontinent to Indochina, this spreading shrub has dark green, hairy leaves with prominent veins. Blue to purplish-blue flowers emerge from dense spikes at the branch tips and beside the upper leaves. Each flower has a slender tube opening into five spreading lobes, with two stamens extending beyond the opening. The overlapping bracts are pale or silvery white with a network of green veins. Widely cultivated as an ornamental, the species has been introduced beyond its native range. Photographed in Panama.