Salvia 'Amistad'

friendship sage

Bushy perennial with bright green, 'corrugated', aromatic leaves and royal purple flowers with black calyces. Flowers nearly all year round. Attracts bees and hummingbirds.

Prefers a sheltered position in full sun and well-draining soil. Usually trouble-free, but may get damaged by slugs and snails. Deer-resistant. Very easy to propagate from cuttings. Tolerates moderate frosts (to about -8 deg Celsius). Protect during colder temperatures or grow in containers and move indoors for the winter. Remove spent flower-spikes to prolong flowering (this also helps to keep the pant compact).

Stunning Salvia for a spot in the middle or back of the flower border. The flower-colour is absolutely beautiful. The plant can get quite open, so every now and again I prune mine (i.e. I remove spent flower-spikes with a relatively long stem and cut it just above a point where new side-shoots are emerging.)