About

Salvia pratensis (ex. Pink Bulldozer) is a herbaceous perennial in the Lamiaceae that forms a basal clump and sends up erect, branched flowering spikes to about 1–1.5 m. Its leaves are rugose and toothed and the stems are four-angled with soft hairs. Flowers are two-lipped and arranged in verticils along a lax spike, opening from the base upwards. In the UK it flowers from June to September.

About the genus

Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the sage family Lamiaceae, with just under 1,000 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. Within the Lamiaceae, Salvia is part of the tribe Mentheae within the subfamily Nepetoideae. One of several genera commonly referred to as sage, it includes two widely used herbs, Salvia officinalis and Salvia rosmarinus.

Wikipedia contributors, "Salvia", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Salvia

In the garden

Salvia pratensis (ex. Pink Bulldozer) is a meadow species of Salvia native to Europe, western Asia and northern Africa; the Latin epithet pratensis refers to its association with grassland. It naturally occurs at meadow margins, scrub edges and woodland borders and, in cultivation, retains that upright, meadow-like presence. The plant forms a basal rosette of rugose, toothed leaves and produces four-angled, softly hairy stems bearing branched flower spikes that may reach about 1–1.5 m in height. Individual flowers are two-lipped, arranged in whorls (verticils) along a lax spike, and the inflorescence develops from the base upward; spikes can measure several tens of centimetres. In the UK the flowering season runs from June to September, offering a prolonged display through summer. Place Salvia pratensis (ex. Pink Bulldozer) where its vertical spikes can be seen against lower planting—meadow mixes, naturalistic margins, scrub and the rear of a mixed herbaceous border suit it well. Pruning out spent lower flowers as they fade preserves the appearance of the spike because blooms open from the base upwards, so judicious removal of faded florets keeps the display neater without shortening the season.

More in the Salvia genus

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  Perovskia 'Blue Spire'
• 
  Rosmarinus prostratus
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  Salvia 'Black and Blue'
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  Salvia 'Ostfriesland'
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  Salvia 'Rose Queen'
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  Salvia 'Royal Bumble'
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  Salvia bicolorSage
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  Salvia forskaohleiSage