Frequent chores, like deadheading and pruning, are especially important as a means to keep up appearances within ornamental beds. Salvia plants generally prefer soils that are slightly acidic. Flower beds and borders should drain well, and receive at least six hours of sunlight each day. Though some species of salvia are able to adapt to varying amounts of sun, excess shade may lead to fewer flowers and leggier plants. Deciding when to plant salvias will depend greatly upon the region, though most find spring to be best.
If you don’t deadhead it, ‘Purple Knockout’ may self-seed, acting like a perennial groundcover. To add more color to your garden, contrast this sage’s burgundy foliage with variegated ‘Tequila Sunrise’ coreopsis. Discovered in Australia, ‘Wendy’s Wish’ (Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’) shows off bright pink-purple flowers from late spring to early fall. Plant this salvia next to ‘Black and Blue’ for a colorful cottage garden look.
In addition to the popular salvia species and their cultivars, there are also hybrid salvias, such as Salvia x sylvestris, commonly known as wood sage. A very popular cultivar of this hybrid is ‘May Night’ (‘Mainacht’), which blooms with blue-violet flowers from May to June. Another good cultivar is ‘Pink Dawn’, a shorter plant (18 inches) with pink flowers. Rockin’® Fuchsia (Salvia hybrid) is a wonderful annual with vibrant flowers each with a black calyx on tough plants.
Silver Sage
Blue sage (S. farinacea) opens bright blue flowers after rains in the hills of southwestern North America. Possibly the best-known species is the garden annual scarlet sage (S. splendens) from Brazil, the blazing spikes of which contrast with dark green oval leaves. Salvia nemorosa ‘Lyrical White’ forms dense clumps of gray-green foliage, and grows about 24 inches tall and wide. These plants have similar habits of the other varieties, however ‘Lyrical White’ displays thicker spikes of wispy white flowers. Though salvia plants are generally considered to be a carefree addition to the garden, they can be affected by several common diseases. Powdery mildew is a serious concern, particularly in regions that are humid.
It tends to grow best in south facing areas as these areas tend to receive the most sunlight. Before planting in my yard, I like to observe which areas receive sun at certain parts of the day to find the best location for my plants. Annual salvias are evaluated as part of the U of M flower trials and research. To eliminate powdery mildew, you can mix two tablespoons of baking soda or vinegar with a gallon of water and pour the solution over the infected leaves. Salvia is fairly disease resistant, but there are still a number of diseases that they can encounter, depending on the species you’ve decided to plant. Let’s take a look at some of the more common diseases you’ll encounter.
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Grow ‘East Friesland’ with ‘Moonbeam’ coreopsis for a classic blue and yellow flower garden. A popular annual selected for its eye-catching color, red salvia (Salvia splendens) is easy to grow. Like most other salvias, it offers scented foliage, so deer and rabbits usually leave it alone.
‘Hot Lips’ salvia (Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’
Commonly called scarlet sage, this plant flowers all summer long and is great for containers. A must-grow plant in herb gardens, culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) features wonderfully scented silvery-gray leaves and spikes of lilac flowers in early summer. It’s a key ingredient in many container-garden combinations, Thanksgiving stuffings, and even a few desserts.
- It’s substantially drought-tolerant and thrives in full sunlight.
- It attracts birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds and it is easy to care for.
- Salvia has many different uses, depending on the species you add to your garden.
- A must-grow plant in herb gardens, culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) features wonderfully scented silvery-gray leaves and spikes of lilac flowers in early summer.
Salvia needs full sun, this Salvia Information means it should be receiving 6-8 hours of sun on a daily basis. But there are still some common pests that can create problems with your salvia depending on the variety you’ve chosen to plant. Botrytis blight occurs in overly wet climates and is generally seen in early spring when most precipitation happens, or in warm humid climates.
Salvia Varieties
- They are also commonly purchased from local garden centers as transplants.
- To add more color to your garden, contrast this sage’s burgundy foliage with variegated ‘Tequila Sunrise’ coreopsis.
- Salvia is not just a culinary herb; it has numerous medicinal properties that have been recognized for centuries.
- Grown as an annual in cool-season climates, pineapple sage (Salvia elegans ‘Pineapple’) is a perennial in warm-winter regions where it blooms from winter to spring.
The mucilage affixes the nutlet to the soil (or a terracotta figurine) and retains water. The nutlets are eagerly sought by seed-eating birds, including goldfinches. Sages are some of the easiest plants to propagate by stem cuttings. Autumn sage (Salvia greggii) is a perennial, shrubby salvia plant that blooms with hot pink flowers from summer through early fall.
Most members of this genus are small, upright shrubs or herbaceous perennials reaching 1 to 3 feet tall and wide. The name Salvia is derived from the Latin word salvare, which means “to save” and refers to the plant’s life-saving medicinal properties. Ornamental salvias are known for floral spikes that are densely packed with colorful flowers. There is a wide range of flower colors that are not only attractive to humans, but to pollinators too. A garden containing salvia will often have many bees, butterflies and hummingbirds visiting the flowers for nectar and pollen.
Create an easy-growing but delicate-looking combo with ‘Blue Angel’ sage and ‘Diamond Frost’ euphorbia. An All-America Selections award winner, ‘Lady in Red’ (Salvia coccinea ‘Lady in Red’) presents vibrant red spikes of flowers all summer. The medium green, hairy leaves are roughly triangular in shape with scalloped edges. Adored by butterflies and hummingbirds, gardeners love this salvia for its low care requirements and brilliant blooms. In container gardens, it is often used as a filler that provides a mass of flowers and foliage against larger plants. Grown primarily for its foliage, tricolor sage (Salvia officinalis ‘Tricolor’) combines the best features of other sages.
Rockin’® Deep Purple (Salvia hybrid) brings depth and drama to any garden or landscape. Its unique, deep purple blooms create a rich, velvety display from early summer right through to the first frost of fall. Diviner’s sage (S. divinorum), known colloquially as salvia, is a hallucinogenic plant native to Mexico. A hybrid cross between watermint and spearmint, peppermint is a great herb for growing in containers or out in the garden if you’re willing to manage its spread. Follow this guide from gardening expert Madison Moulton to harvest lush peppermint leaves all season long. This means with proper care your plant should become well established within a season, and survive the winter.
‘Blue Angel’ Sage
If you are thinking of adding Lavender to your garden this season, there are some steps you can take to make sure you have a bountiful yield. In this article, urban farmer Alessandro Vitale, also known as “Spicymoustache” on Youtube shares his top tips for amazing Lavender this season. Are you wondering when and how best to harvest for continued harvest and an abundant season?
‘May Night’ salvia and ‘Pomegranate’ yarrow make a fuss-free, long-blooming combination that butterflies adore. Gray-green leaves that are up to 4 inches long are paired on this plant’s square stems. Salvia is a large genus of ornamental and culinary plants, with some 1,000 species worldwide.