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Herbaceous Perennial

Salvia verticillata 'Purple Rain'
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

whorled clary 'Purple Rain'

An upright perennial with lyre-shaped leaves and small, reddish-purple flowers borne in long, dense, interrupted spikes on reddish stems in summer

Synonyms
Salvia officinalis 'Purple Rain'
Salvia leucantha 'Purple Rain'
see moreSalvia 'Purple Rain'
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Purple Green
Autumn
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

West–facing or South–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
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

Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

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

Propagation

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
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Gravel garden
  • Mediterranean climate plants
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

Cut back faded flower spikes to prolong flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs, snails, aphids, capsid bug, leafhoppers and rosemary beetle

Diseases

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

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