About
A tuberous perennial, up to around 2.5m tall, with heart-shaped leaves, hairy beneath, up to 15cm or more long. Flower spikes, often drooping and horizontal to the main stem, comprise deep blue flowers, up to 2cm long, with green calyces and blue-tinged bracts and are borne from late summer into autumn.
About the genus
Salvia can be annuals, biennials, herbaceous or evergreen perennials, or shrubs. They have paired, simple or pinnately lobed, often aromatic leaves and 2-lipped flowers in whorls, forming simple or branched spikes or racemes
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureWell-drained
AspectWest-facing, South-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH4
Plant details
Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height1.5-2.5 metres
Spread1-1.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Mediterranean climate plants
Native toArgentina
Care notes
CultivationGrow in well-drained soil and full sun with shelter from cold, drying winds
PruningCut back spent flower spikes to prolong flowering
PropagationPropagate by seed, by division or from cuttings
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to slugs, snails, aphids, capsid bug and leafhoppers
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), powdery mildews, verticillium wilt and foot and root rots