salvia, annual flowering sage

A very common bedding plant annual that produces tall flower spikes over silver to green foliage that are very dependable “thrillers” in the sun, heat and drought. Excellent pollinator attractants, and long lasting color for garden beds or sunny, mixed container gardens. Mealycup Sage (S. farinacea) develops deep blue, light blue, lavender, and silvery white spike flowers over green-green foliage. It is very deer resistant, drought and clay soil tolerant. Scarlet Sage (S. splendens) is a showier type with fuller spikes of longer, tubular flowers in bright shades of red, orange, purple, white and bicolor. This type requires more deadheading maintenance and is not as tolerant of drought, but does an outstanding job at attracting hummingbirds!

Grow in sunny areas, well-drained, amended soil or containers. Feed with a slow release fertilizer, Osmocote® or Plant-tone®. Follow label instructions. Repeat flowering, and often self-cleaning, but trim to maintain better blooming and a tidy habit. Mulch 2″ to suppress weeds, retain moisture and protect against extremes of soil temperature.