Salvia granatensis (Ro)

RHS Plant Profile
cliff rosemary

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Synonyms

Rosmarinus tomentosus

Plants for pollinators
Shrubs

A bushy shrub from southern Spain, exclusively endemic to Granada, is an endangered species commonly named white rosemary. It grows mainly on seaside limestone cliffs and has a dense habit with woolly, silvery-green linear leaves, and violet-blue lipped flowers with a brown upper lip, flowering in late winter and early spring

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Neutral or Alkaline

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or 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)
H4

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Foliage
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Lamiaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
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
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

This genus has changed from Rosmarinus to Salvia

How to Grow

Cultivation

Will grow well in coastal settings preferably in chalky rocky soil in full sun. It benefits from the salt spray from the sea.

Propagation

Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Coastal
  • Mediterranean climate plants
  • Rock garden
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Wildlife gardens

Pruning

Pruning group 9 in spring; cut back spent flower spikes to prolong flowering

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

High Risk Host for Xylella fastidiosa. May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), powdery mildews, verticillium wilt and foot and root rots