Betsy Clebsch wrote the book on salvias: A Book on Salvias in 1997 was followed by The New Book of Salvias in 2008. In a talk and at a tour of her garden this spring, she talked about her favorite native salvias.
Hummingbird sage, Salvia spathacea, is a low-maintenance spreading perennial. The best location is filtered shade under trees, or north and east exposures, but it can tolerate sun if it's given more water. Above the broad fruity-scented basal evergreen leaves , a stout flowering stalk blooms from late winter to early summer, reaching 1-3 feet high. The species, and most cultivars, look best if watered once or twice a month. In general, the more water it gets, the more it will spread by creeping rhizomes. It's easy to dig up and relocate (or give away) any plants that have exceeded their bounds. I've grown one in a large container for several years, where it forms a mound.
For the best color, the cultivar Kawatre has beetroot-red flowers surrounded by ruby-red bracts and calyces. After the flowers fall, the rest of the flowering stalk retains its colors and can serve as a long-lasting cut flower. Betsy described the leaf fragrance as “fruit salad.”
Another favorite is Avis Keedy hummingbird sage, with white to pale yellow flowers that can brighten a shady area. Its leaves have a resinous-fruity fragrance. Keep this very prolific cultivar under control by keeping it as dry as possible, Betsy said.
For a bigger presence, the basal leaves of the cultivar Powerline Pink are up to 3 feet high, and the flowering stalk towers 3 feet above the leaves. Unlike other hummingbird sages, this cultivar grows well in full sun.
Most other salvias thrive in full sun, subtly perfuming the air with their pungent or spicy leaf fragrances.
On a sunny slope, try soft gray-leaved Salvia 'Bee's Bliss'. This low spreading sage sports profuse lavender-pink 1-foot flower spikes in the spring. Betsy said the secret to making it live for years is to cut it back hard as soon as possible after it blooms. The pruning forces new growth, keeping hard woody stems from building up. Without pruning, within 3 years it will need to be replaced, she said. Bee's Bliss needs no summer water. It's susceptible to powdery mildew early in the season, but recovers with warmer weather and good air circulation.
A low mounding plant, Salvia 'Dara's Choice' has green leaves and 8-inch flower spikes. Betsy recommended buying the plant in bloom if you're looking for a specific shade of violet to blue. She has five clones, each with a different color. A branch or two can get verticillium wilt, but the plant usually survives. It performs best in full sun and can tolerate some shade.
If you want to see a variety of sages, Betsy said the best public salvia garden is at Cabrillo College in Aptos. Its annual plant sale, held the weekend of Mother's Day, features many salvias. For first pick, go Friday and pay a $25 entrance fee. A plant list is posted online within a month before the sale.
Next month: shrubbier sages
© 2009 Tanya Kucak