About
This bushy perennial to 90cm tall, with lyre-shaped or ovate leaves to 30cm long, and long spikes of violet flowers with white tubes, opening in summer and early 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
SunlightPartial shade
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectNorth-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Patio and container plants, Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Native toBalkans & N Turkey
Care notes
CultivationBest grown in any light, moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil in partial shade
PruningCut back spent flower spikes to prolong flowering
PropagationPropagate by seed in spring or divide established clumps; Take softwood cuttings in spring or early summer or semi-ripe cuttings in late summer and autumn
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to leafhoppers, slugs and snails
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), powdery mildews, verticillium wilt and foot and root rots