Propagate sage through stem cuttings in spring when growth is active. Your sage will thrive, and your garden ecosystem will benefit too. Regular trimming during the growing season helps maintain the plant’s shape and promotes bushiness. At this point, it’s best to replace them with new plants for better harvests. For culinary sage, less fertilizer actually leads to more flavorful leaves.
Some salvias are considered annuals and others perennials. This fast-growing, evergreen shrub is a popular garden plant in the Southwest. ‘Evolution’ has a long blooming season and is a perfect choice for meadow or cottage-style gardens, planted in containers, window boxes, beds and borders. With fragrant flowers and foliage, as well as salt tolerance, it’s a great choice for diverse garden settings. One of the best salvias for your garden; works wonderfully in heat and humidity. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees all love this plant, making it a great choice for pollinator gardens.
- A standout selection bred in 1978, ‘Victoria Blue’ (Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria Blue’) is popular for its long-lasting flowers that are great for cutting.
- Silver sage (Salvia argentea) looks stunning when grown in containers, flower beds, or borders.
- If you deadhead this variety regularly, you will be rewarded with a second bloom in September.
- For the adventurous gardener, salvia cuttings can be taken in the spring or early fall.
With a watchful eye and prompt action, you’ll keep your sage plants thriving and productive. These steps ensure your sage survives winter and thrives in the coming growing season, whether in the garden or in pots. Protect outdoor sage plants with light mulch and shelter from harsh winds.
‘Plumosa’ Salvia
Like most other salvias, it offers scented foliage, so deer and rabbits usually leave it alone. It’s an excellent salvia plant for growing as an annual in containers, especially in northern areas. It displays silvery-green leaves edged in creamy white and blushed with purple. Grown primarily for its foliage, tricolor sage (Salvia officinalis ‘Tricolor’) combines the best features of other sages. It produces purplish-blue flowers on spikes in late spring.
Selected species and their uses
Add bright summer-long color by growing this sage with ‘Oranges and Lemons’ gaillardia. Discovered in Australia, ‘Wendy’s Wish’ (Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’) shows off bright pink-purple flowers from late spring to early fall. In addition, blue sage is a perfect planting partner for purple-leafed shrubs like ‘Summer Wine’ ninebark.
‘Pineapple’ Sage
Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees all love it, which makes it a great plant for pollinator gardens. Rockin’® Fuchsia (Salvia hybrid) is a wonderful annual with vibrant flowers each with a black calyx on tough plants. Salvia plants come in a wide range of sizes, growth habits and flower colors. Apply a balanced time-release fertilizer in spring or spread a thin layer of compost around the base of plants. Soil that is too rich may cause plants to become leggy and stems to fall over. Follow these steps and space salvia plants 1 to 6 feet apart, depending on the variety.
Choose a site with full sun to partial shade (at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun) and well-drained soil. In your area, it is best to just leave the stems alone until early spring—when the chance of frost has passed—and new growth begins. Pests and diseases are rarely an issue for salvia growers. Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag, trying to position the bag so that it does not touch the foliage.
It’s a species that hybridizes easily, meaning it has a variety of hybrids and cultivars. Baby sage (Salvia microphylla) is an evergreen shrub. It’s a semi-evergreen perennial that reaches up to 3 feet in height. Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) earned its name for the exact Salvia Information reason you’d expect–hummingbirds love it.
Salvias to Bring Color and Fragrance to Your Garden
One of several genera commonly referred to as sage, it includes two widely used herbs, Salvia officinalis (common sage, or just “sage”) and Salvia rosmarinus (rosemary, formerly Rosmarinus officinalis).
Surprise! These “Native” Plants Are Actually Garden Tourists
A fast-growing selection, ‘Hot Lips’ looks great in beds, borders, and containers. The notched, wrinkled, medium-green to gray-green leaves are aromatic when bruised. Noted for its pineapple aroma, ‘Golden Delicious’ (Salvia elegans ‘Golden Delicious’) features soft, hairy, light green leaves up to 3 inches long on square stems. It’s a top pick for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.
Give it plenty of sun and well-draining soil, and you’re off to a great start. Salvia is a multitasker in the garden. Most sage problems are preventable with proper care. Water thoroughly after repotting to settle the soil. Gently remove the plant, place it at the same depth in the new container, and fill it with fresh mix.
East Friesland Salvia
It is also the species burned for traditional spiritual ceremonies. Its silvery foliage is visually striking, while its pine-like flavor adds depth to dishes. Culinary sages, primarily derived from Salvia officinalis, are kitchen staples.
‘Blue Angel’ Sage
The former has genuinely blue flowers, which is somewhat unusual and thus highly desirable. They add a burst of color to any garden but they can also work medicinally and for culinary purposes, such as for seasoning. Salvia plants are easy to grow and propagate. Salvias, also called sage, are part of the mint (Lamiaceae) plant family. To overwinter in containers, plant them in the ground in a sheltered spot by early fall. Removing flowers after they have faded will promote rebloom.
Blooming in early spring, tricolor sage reaches heights of 18 inches and loves full sun. Mystic spires blue salvia (Salvia longispicata x farinacea ‘Mystic Spires Blue’) grows up to 3 feet in height, with spikes of blue flowers (hence its name). Plant during the late spring or even early summer to take advantage of its blooms.
For shrub types, remove dead, diseased or damaged branches, cut back the entire plant by a third to half of its size, and shape as needed. For herbaceous perennials, remove dead stems back to the ground when new growth begins to emerge. Allow soil to dry out between waterings and irrigate when the top 2 inches of soil becomes dry. When growing in pots, use a high quality all-purpose potting mix.
- The Salvia genus offers a diverse array of plants, each with its own charm and uses.
- Typically found on dry hillsides and in gravelly soils, purple sage (Salvia leucophylla) is rugged, easy to grow, and beautiful.
- ‘Cirrus’ (Salvia farinacea ‘Cirrus’) is a delightful salvia plant bearing spikes of pure-white flowers from spring to fall.
- However, certain species can be a problem in specific regions.
Make a bold impression by planting silver sage with cardoon, which also presents eye-catching silvery leaves. It’s so lovely, many gardeners cut off the flowers to keep the focus on the foliage. Get double the true-blue effect by growing gentian sage with leadwort. Long-blooming ‘Coral Nymph’ (Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’) is covered in spikes of coral-pink flowers from early summer to frost. Contrast this variety’s rich blue flowers and upright habit with a silvery skirt of trailing licorice plant. It’s a good selection for cutting and makes a beautiful accent when planted with deep blue flowers.
Blue salvia is a perennial that grows in a clumping pattern. Butterflies and hummingbirds are very fond of this species, which has velvety, grayish-green leaves. Another good cultivar is ‘Pink Dawn’, a shorter plant (18 inches) with pink flowers. Removing the spent flowers keeps the plant looking tidy.
Growing and Maintaining Sage
Salvias (also called sages) are a diverse group of plants that offer colorful flowers, scents, and flavors. Tricolor sage (Salvia officinalis ‘Tricolor’) has silvery green foliage with creamy white edges with hints of purple. Yugoslavian cut leaf sage (Salvia jurisicii) has beautiful feathery foliage with blue-purple flowers. While it has attractive purple flowers, the plants don’t bloom readily, and the stalks are prone to breaking. Like other salvias, autumn sage will attract bees and butterflies to your garden.
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