Introducing...
Tender salvias
Botanical name: Salvia
Great for providing fresh, vibrant colour in late summer and early autumn. Tender salvias won’t normally survive the winter outdoors, so take cuttings and overwinter in a frost-free greenhouse or replace plants lost to frost with new ones the following spring.
Looks
A diverse group including shrubby Salvia leucantha (Mexican bush sage) and the well-known Salvia ‘Amistad’. Most colours are available.
Likes
Boost late-season flowering of tender salvias by planting in a position that still gets plenty of sun in autumn.
Dislikes
Tender salvias won’t survive hard frosts or prolonged cold or wet.
Did you know?
An alternative to taking cuttings is to dig up your tender salvias and keep them in pots somewhere light and frost free over winter. Or, plant them in containers to start with and move them indoors when frost threatens.
Growing guide
How to grow salvias
All the information you'll need to grow & care for salvias in your garden – including advice on growing conditions, planting, feeding, watering, deadheading, pruning, overwintering and propagating.
Tender salvias we recommend
Salvia patens 'Cambridge Blue'
gentian sage 'Cambridge Blue'
- 0.5–1 metres
- 0.1–0.5 metres
Salvia patens 'Cambridge Blue'
gentian sage 'Cambridge Blue'
- 0.5–1 metres
- 0.1–0.5 metres
Deadheading plants
Hardening off tender plants
Overwintering tender plants: lifting or mulching
Tender perennials: cuttings
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.