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Herbaceous Perennial

Salvia verticillata

whorled clary

A bushy upright perennial with dark green, lyre-shaped leaves and slender spikes of small, violet-blue flowers in summer

Other common names

whorled blue sage

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

West–facing or South–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Lamiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Salvia can be annuals, biennials, herbaceous or evergreen perennials, or shrubs. They have paired, simple or pinnately lobed, often aromatic leaves and 2-lipped flowers in whorls, forming simple or branched spikes or racemes
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Europe to Russia

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained soil and full sun with shelter from cold, drying winds

Propagation

Propagate by seed in spring. Take basal stem cuttings in late spring; stem-tip cuttings in late summer or in early autumn and propagate by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Gravel garden
Mediterranean climate plants
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

Cut back faded flower spikes to prolong flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails, aphids, capsid bug, leafhoppers and rosemary beetle may damage young growth

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), powdery mildews, verticillium wilt and foot and root rots

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