Salvia

There are few gardens that don't have at least one salvia growing in them. Whether you have sun or shade, a dry garden or lots of rainfall, there's an annual salvia that you'll find indispensable. All attract hummingbirds, especially the red ones, and are great picks for hot, dry sites where you want tons of color all season. Most salvias don't like cool weather, so plant them outdoors after all danger of frost has passed.

Light:

Sun,Part Sun

Plant Type:

Annual,Herb

Plant Height:

1-3 feet tall

Plant Width:

1 foot wide

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Flowers,Fragrant,Dried Flowers,Attracts Hummingbirds,Attracts Butterflies,Drought Tolerant,Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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Black and Blue sage

Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' is a blue-flowering favorite of hummingbirds. Perennial in Zone 7 and warmer; it's grown as an annual in cooler zones.
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Blue salvia

Salvia farinacea offers stately pale blue blooms on a 3-foot-tall plant of gray-green foliage. It's a perennial in Zones 7-10, but is usually grown as an annual.
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Coral Nymph sage

Salvia coccinea 'Coral Nymph' offers bicolor, salmon-and-white tubular flowers on 2-foot stems. Perennial in Zones 8 and warmer; grown as an annual in cooler climates.
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Golden Delicious pineapple sage

Salvia elegans 'Golden Delicious' shows off bright golden-yellow foliage that smells of pineapples when rubbed. In autumn it bears spikes of bold red flowers. It can be grown as a perennial in Zones 8-11
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Lady in Red sage

Salvia coccinea 'Lady in Red' is an award-winning, long-blooming, heat- and drought-resistant selection with bright red flowers. It grows 2 feet tall. While it's usually grown as an annual, it is perennial in Zones 7-10.
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Phoenix Bright Lilac salvia

Salvia splendens 'Phoenix Bright Lilac' offers lilac-purple flowers all summer on compact, 16-inch-tall plants.
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Pineapple sage

Salvia elegans is a tender shrub that has pineapple-scented foliage and bright red flowers in late summer and autumn. The leaves are great for teas or garnishes. It grows 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Zones 8-11, though in most areas it's treated as an annual.
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Scarlet Sage

Salvia coccinea is a durable non-stop bloomer popular in park plantings. It's usually grown as an annual, but is perennial in Zones 7-10.
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Wendy's Wish salvia

Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' is a majestic plant with spikes of magenta-pink flowers from spring to fall. It grows 3 feet tall and wide. Usually grown as an annual, it is a perennial in Zones 9-11.
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Garden Plans

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Four Gorgeous Bulb and Perennial Gardens
Lush Foliage Garden Plan
Really Red Garden Plan
Easy-Care Mixed Fall Garden Plan
Beautiful Blues Garden Plan
Easy-Care Formal Garden Plan
Blue-Theme Garden Plan
Hot-Summer Garden Plan
Annual Garden for Full Sun
Beautiful Bird Garden Plan
Easy Sidewalk Garden Plan
English-Style Front Yard Garden Plan
Summer Butterfly Garden Plan

Plant It With

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Annual vinca

Vinca comes in a variety of complimentary colors and is just the right height for planting in front of salvia.

Sweet potato vine

The bright lime-green foliage of this ornamental sweet potato is the perfect accompaniment for any of the blue salvias.

Ageratum

Blue ageratum helps to ground the vivid red of scarlet sage.

Propagation

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Seed