Salvia farinacea - Blue Sage, Victoria Blue Sage

Salvia farinacea - Blue Sage

Pot Size: 4" deep

The stunning blue flower spikes, the hallmark of Blue Sage, are hummingbird, butterfly and honeybee magnets!  This Northern Mexico to Texas native perennial is a small species with densely hairy or woolly leaves, bestowing on it the unattractive early name "mealy sage". It has been in the garden trade since around 1850 and had numerous cultivars offered by nurseries and seed catalogs ('Victoria' having stunning violet-blue flowers and calcyces).  It needs lots of sun and well-drained soil to perform at its best.  

As a perennial, Blue Sage appreciates being protected from excessive winter wet, and sheltered from cold, drying wind, when it is more susceptible to powdery mildew, but is otherwise rarely attacked by pests and insects, needs little attention except for a bit of pinching back, and has a long blooming period (for which a little light balanced fertilizer is helpful). Can be grown as an annual or perennial, a dependable flowering bedding plant, neat and trim,

Small Perennial Shrub

Size: 12 to 18 inches in both height and spread
Light: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Bloom: Blue Flowers from March to Frost
Other Notes: Tolerates Deer, Drought and Dry Soil.  After an extended period of flowering, cut back plant to produce a thicker and more compact foliage.
Uses: Rock Gardens, Wildflower Gardens, Pollinator and Hummingbird Gardens.