Plant Of The Month: March 2001, Salvia

How To Grow
Grow salvias in full sun to partial shade and average to rich, well-drained soil that is evenly moist. In areas with hot summers, a site with afternoon shade is best. Species with densely hairy leaves, such as silver sage (S. argentea) need very well-drained soil and are best in full sun. Where hardy, grow salvias outdoors as perennials or shrubs; in areas where they are marginally hardy, try a site against a south-facing wall for extra winter protection. In the North, grow them as bedding plants replaced annually or as tender perennials overwintered indoors. To grow them as annuals, sow seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last spring frost date at 65 to 70 F.

To give mealycup sage (S. farinacea - pictured at right) a head start so it can bloom the first year from seeds, sow indoors 10 to 12 weeks before the last frost date. Germination takes about two weeks. Or, from Zone 9 south, sow outdoors after the last frost date. To grow salvias as biennials or perennials, sow them indoors as you would annuals, or sow outdoors in a nursery bed, in pots set in a sheltered location, or where the plants are to grow anytime from spring until two months before the first fall frost. When sowing, just press the seeds onto the soil surface, as light is required for germination.

Perennial salvias are easy to grow from cuttings taken from spring through early fall; use cuttings to propagate plants for the garden or for overwintering. Set plants in a sunny cool (60 F) spot during the winter, and keep them on the dry side. Use salvias in bedding displays, mixed plantings and containers. Some species are suitable for herb gardens. Their flowers attract hummingbirds as well as butterflies and are attractive cut flowers. S. farinacea, S. leucantha and S. viridis make fine dried flowers.

S. argentea (pictured at left)
s. are-JEN-tee-ah. Silver Sage, Silver Salvia. A biennial or short-lived perennial, hardy in Zones 5 to 8, grown for its rosette of large, rounded, 8-inch-long gray-green leaves covered with silvery hairs. Bears white to pinkish flowers on 2- to 3-foot-tall spikes in summer. Plants do not tolerate wet soil in winter. Warm-weather annual or biennial.

S. buchananii
s. bue-kah-NAN-ee-eye. A tender, 2-foot-tall perennial, hardy from Zone 9 south, with a somewhat sprawling habit. Bears loose racemes of 2-inch-long, magenta-red flowers from summer to fall. Tender perennial or warm-weather annual.

S. coccinea
s. cock-SIN-ee-ah. A bushy, 1½- to 3-foot-tall annual with spikes of ¾-inch-long flowers that have flaring lower lips. Flowers are borne from summer to fall and come in pink, red or white. 'Coral Nymph,' also sold as 'Cherry Blossom,' bears flowers with a white upper lip and a salmon pink lower one. 'Lady in Red' bears scarlet flowers. Both are compact, 1½-foot tall selections. Warm-weather annual.

S. elegans
s. EL-eh-ganz. Pineapple Sage. A shrubby, tender perennial, hardy from Zone 8 south, ranging from 3 to 6 feet or more in height. Bears softly hairy, pineapple-scented leaves and loose panicles of 1-inch-long scarlet flowers in late summer and fall. 'Scarlet Pineapple' has more strongly scented leaves than the species and larger, 1½-inch-long flowers. Tender perennial or warm-weather annual.

S. farinacea (pictured at left)
s. fair-ih-NAY-cee-ah. Mealy-cup Sage. A bushy, 2-foot-tall tender perennial, hardy from Zone 8 south. Bears dense spikes of small, ¾-inch-long flowers from summer to fall on purple stems. Flowers come in violet, violet-blue or white. S. 'Indigo Spires', a hybrid of this species and S. longispicata, bears spikes of purple, ½-inch-long flowers with blue bracts. The spikes can reach as much as 3 feet in length. Warm-weather annual or tender perennial.

S. greggii
s. GREG-ee-eye. Gregg Sage, Autumn Sage. A 1- to 2-foot shrub or perennial, hardy from Zone 7 south, with ¾-inch-long flowers from late summer to frost in shades of red, purple, violet, pink or yellow. Warm-weather annual or tender perennial.

S. guaranitica (pictured at right)
s. gwar-ah-NIH-tih-cah. A shrubby 5-foot-tall perennial, hardy from Zone 8 south. Bears deep blue, 2-inch-long flowers with purple-blue calyxes from late summer to fall. Tender perennial or warm-weather annual.

S. leucantha (pictured at left)
s. lew-CAN-tha. Mexican Bush Sage. A 2- to 3½-foot-tall subshrub, hardy only from Zone 10 south, with gray-green leaves. Bears dense spikes of white or purple ½- to ¾-inch-long flowers with showy purple calyces in fall. Tender perennial or warm-weather annual.

S. patens
s. PAY-tens. Blue Sage, Gentian Sage. A tender, 1½- to 2-foot perennial, hardy from Zone 8 south. Bears loose racemes of 2-inch-long deep blue flowers from midsummer to fall. Tender perennial or warm-weather annual.

S. splendens (pictured at right)
s. SPLEN-denz. Scarlet Sage. A tender 1- to 2-foot perennial, hardy from Zone 10 south popular as an annual bedding plant. Bears dense spikes of ½- to 2-inch-long flowers with showy bracts from summer to fall in scarlet, mauve-purple, creamy white and pink. Sizzler Series plants reach 16 inches and come in a wide range of colors, including red, salmon, burgundy, pink, lavender and purple. 'Red Hot Sally' bears scarlet flowers on 10-inch-plants. 'Van Houttei' bears rose-red flowers with burgundy calyces on 4-foot plants. Red-flowered forms are best in full sun, while pastels benefit from partial shade. Warm-weather annual or tender perennial.

S. uliginosa (pictured at left)
s. yew-lih-gih-NO-sah. Bog Sage. A tender perennial, hardy from Zone 8 south, from 4 to 6 feet tall and spreading to 3 feet. Bears spikes of ¾-inch-long sky blue flowers from late summer to fall. Plants thrive in moist, well-drained soil but also do well in wet conditions. Tender perennial or warm-weather annual.

S. viridis
s. VEER-ih-dis. Annual Clary Sage. Formerly S. horminum. A bushy, 1½- to 2-foot-tall annual with spikes of insignificant, pink to purplish flowers and showy, 1½-inch-long bracts. The bracts are mauve-pink, purple or white and have darker veins. Warm-weather annual.

EXCLUSIVE ONLINE ONLY AUTHOR'S NOTE

OUTSTANDING SALVIA CULTIVARS
Salvias have seen an explosion in popularity in recent years, and many outstanding cultivars are available. Here are a few outstanding selections to look for:

Salvia elegans 'Frieda Dixon'. A cultivar of pineapple sage, 'Frieda Dixon' bears salmon-peach flowers from early fall to frost and features fruity-scented foliage like its parent. Plants reach 3 to 5 feet.

S. guaranitica 'Black and Blue'. A handsome selection of the species that features 2-foot-long spikes of deep violet-purple flowers, each with a black calyx at the base.

Salvia 'Indigo Spires'. A hybrid selection that bears rich violet-blue spikes of flowers from summer to frost. Spikes can reach 2 feet in length; plants, 3 to 4 feet.

Salvia involucrata 'Bethelli' (Rosebud salvia). Thrives in dappled shade or sun and has large fuzzy grayish leaves on 3- to 6-foot plants. From late summer to frost, plants bear spikes of pink buds that open into bright pink flowers surrounded by fuzzy pink bracts.

Salvia leucantha 'Santa Barbara'. A dwarf form of the species, forming a 2-foot-tall mound that spreads to 3 or 4 feet. Plants bear spikes of purple flowers from early fall to frost.

Salvia lyrata 'Sangria' (Lyre-leaved sage). A selection of an East Coast native saliva, 'Sangria' features glossy burgundy leaves topped by pale purple flowers from summer into fall. Plants self-sow and come true. Hardy to Zone 5.

For the Plant Of The Month index click here.

Ellis is also the author of "Taylor's Guide to Growing North America's Favorite Plants: A detailed, how-to-grow guide to selecting, planting, and caring for the best classic plants." (Houghton Mifflin, 1998, softcover). Country Living magazine called this comprehensive reference "The 'must-have' gardening book of the year."