Most of the frost-hardy, super-tender sages we grow in our gardens are grown from species that grow naturally in Mexico, Central and South America, and the southern states of the U.S. Their flowers are packed with pigment, to protect them from the harsh sun, so they bring a jewel-box richness to our gardens.
Because they grow in areas close to the equator where the days and nights are around twelve hours long, they tend to thrive when the days and nights are balanced. This means that many species only grow here in the UK when the days start to shorten in late summer and autumn, so they are great plants for extending the flowering season. They are often the last flowers left standing, helping to prop up the garden before winter sets in, and they also help to sustain late-flying pollinators.
The sages mentioned here are not cold hardy and many will need to be pulled or propagated from cuttings to keep them through the winter. However, they are worth growing as they produce a series of flowers over many months. Hardiness varies, and some of the smaller-flowered sages can survive temperatures as low as -10C, so they can survive in the ground for many years. However, severe winters can and will kill them. Others need warmer conditions in the winter – a frost-free greenhouse is ideal. If you want to stick with varieties that are completely cold hardy, read our guide to the best cold-hardy herbaceous sages.
It is important to take ‘insurance’ cuttings for all these sage plants, as wet or harsh winters can kill them. Sage plants are easy to root and Dyson’s Nurseries, based in Great Comp in Kent, have a helpful illustrated section on their website called Growing More Sage.
Most sage plants root easily from semi-ripe cuttings taken from July to early September. Take cuttings in the morning when the plant is well hydrated and less stressed.
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Fill a 3-inch round pot with a 50/50 mixture of seeds and cutting compost, either perlite or vermiculite.
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The ideal cutting is 7-10cm long. Cut just below a node where leaves emerge and remove any lower leaves. If there are flower buds, remove them.
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Dip the cutting into organic rooting gel and place it in the pot, covering it about halfway up. Once you have removed all of the cutting, cover the pot with a plastic freezer bag.
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Keep cuttings in the shade, away from direct sunlight. A shade cloth under a greenhouse works well. Check after 3-4 days. Cuttings should root in 2-3 weeks.
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Once rooted, you can pot the cuttings in their own individual pots, however if the cuttings are small or take a long time to root, leave the pots until February. The harshest winter needs to pass.
The ‘hardiest’ type of sage is the woody shrub. Salvia microphylla And Salvia greggii are woody sage plants found in the mountains of Mexico and southeastern Arizona. S. microphylla is the hardiest variety and has small tubular flowers with prominent lobes. Colors include bright purple, red and bright pink. The Garden Merit Award winning cultivar, ‘Cerro Potosi’, has large bright pink flowers.
‘Hot Lips’, a cherry red and white bicolour variety, is another favourite and there are now several others in the ‘Lips’ Series to try, including ‘Amethyst Lips’ and ‘Cherry Lips’. ‘Wild Watermelon’ is another lovely rose worth looking out for. These microphyllas will rebloom year after year in well-drained sites, although these wood sages will weaken over time, so you should always take ‘insurance’ cuttings as a precaution.
Salvia greggiiwhich I find harder to keep over winter S. microphyllaFound in southwest Texas in arid desert locations. While red flower forms are common in the wild, lavender, pink, purple, and peach flowers are also found. ‘Icing Sugar’ has deep pink flowers that fade to a lighter pink at the edges.
Botanist Jamie Compton identified a colorful natural hybrid population between the two species near the village of Jame in Mexico in the early 1990s. S.x jamensis glorifies this location. Colours found include pale yellow, orange, maroon, various pinks and reds. ‘Javier’ has purple flowers. Commercial varieties include ‘Peter Vidgeon’, a pale pink. ‘Senorita Leah’ has blush pink flowers. Other similar forms include ‘Royal Bumble’ with red flowers and ‘Silas Dyson’, deep purple ‘Nachtvlinder’ and pink ‘Dyson’s Joy’. All are good and provide splashes of colour throughout the year.
If you live in a warmer part of the country, many of these soft lilac sages can play a major role in your summer border. For example, the double herb borders at RHS Wisley often feature a soft purple bushy sage called ‘Phyllis Fancy’. The light green, matte foliage supports pale lilac flower spikes held in deep purple calyxes. ‘Phyllis Fancy’ blooms in this border from May until the first frost, spreading outwards.
‘Phyllis Fancy’ is a hybrid between Salvia leucantha x S. chiapensisBoth soft-bodied species are native to Mexico, so need to be plucked and moved to a frost-free location. Cuttings are also recommended. Similar purple spires can be found on another California hybrid called ‘Waverley’, although not as pretty. I also like the tactile feel S. leucantha ‘Purple Velvet’ has deep purple flowers with a feathery texture.
Dark blue sage flowers are typically tubular and often bloom in dark, almost black calyxes that smolder for months. S. guaraniticaA hummingbird-pollinated South American species from Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, it is a tall, long-flowering sage that can reach shoulder height when cheerful. It has been grown in the UK since the 1920s and Garden Merit-winning selections include ‘Black and Blue’ and ‘Blue Enigma’. ‘Argentina Skies’ is a paler grey-green. These can overwinter in some highly favoured parts of the UK, but most of us will have to bring them into shelter and take cuttings. They all need shelter when flowering, as the stems are brittle and break easily.
Deep blue Sage ‘Amistad’ is widely available and excellent. This is a recent spontaneous hybrid involving S. guaranitica and it was discovered by Dr. Rolando Aniba Uria, an Argentine sage expert, on a bench in a garden center among a tray of potted sage plants in 2005. Amistad ‘Amistad’ means friendship in Spanish and Rolando gave cuttings of his new plant to a number of his salvia friends, including the late salvia enthusiast Robin Middleton of Bagshot in Surrey. ‘Amistad’ quickly became a global success and it has since spawned relatives. These include a deep pink plant called ‘Amante’ and an Australian purple called ‘Amigo’. Both are puns on the words lover and friend.
Gardeners in the south of England can get away with leaving ‘Amistad’ in the ground with success, but I lost my plants to harsh winters in my not-so-warm garden in Gloucestershire. Robin Middleton’s website is still up and running after his death in January 2020, thanks to his partner Peter Vidgeon. It is packed with information and has excellent illustrations.
There are two more subtle blues that work better with herbaceous borders. Sage Candle has leaves not unlike culinary sage in texture and colour. It produces long, outward-curving spikes, with a candle-shaped arrangement of blue flowers amid grey and white. This airy-looking Mediterranean species is well suited to sheltered spots with well-drained soil, but you must take cuttings!
Salvia uliginosa The well-drained challenge label applies to most sages, as this is a South American swamp sage so needs good, moist soil. It will spread and grow in borders and flowers are pale blue to turquoise in the latter half of summer. It will tolerate dry summers, but a very wet summer has also seen it disappear from my borders – although this wanderer may still come back.
The brightest pink flowers belong to Sage Wrapa Mexican species known as pink-leaved sage. Named examples include ‘Mulberry Jam’, ‘Boutin’, ‘Hadspen’ and ‘Bethellii’. They all have dark stems and cherry-red flowers that last until late in the year. However, colder areas of the UK often have to wait until autumn to flower. ‘Mulberry Jam’ has lots of smaller, deep pink flowers.
The three Wish Series sages are widely available in garden centres. The bright pink ‘Wendy’s Wish’, found in Wendy Smith’s private garden in Victoria, Australia, appeared first. After it produced sport buds (the buds that produce flowers of different colours), it was followed by the coral red
