Salvia atrocyanea
dark-flowered Bolivian sage
S. atrocyanea is a tuberous perennial, up to around 2.5m tall, with heart-shaped leaves, hairy beneath, up to 15cm or more long. Flower spikes, often drooping and horizontal to the main stem, comprise deep blue flowers, up to 2cm long, with green calyces and blue-tinged bracts and are borne from late summer into autumn
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Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
1–1.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Blue | Green | ||
| Autumn | Blue | Green | ||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H4Botanical details
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Native to the UK
- 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
- Argentina
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in well-drained soil and full sun with shelter from cold, drying winds
Propagation
Propagate by seed, by division or from cuttings
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Mediterranean climate plants
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
- Wall side borders
Pruning
No pruning required; remove flower spikes when finished
Pests
May be susceptible to slugs, snails, aphids, capsid bug and leafhoppers
Diseases
May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), powdery mildews, verticillium wilt and foot and root rots
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