Salvia rosmarinus Silver Spires ('Wolros') (Ro)

Synonyms

Salvia rosmarinus 'Wolros'
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Silver Spires'
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Wolros'
Rosmarinus officinalis Silver Spires

Herbs - Culinary Shrubs

A compact evergreen shrub, to around 80cm high, with highly aromatic, linear green leaves finely edged with silver. Small, two-lipped violet blue flowers are produced in the leaf axils in late spring and early summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

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
Potentially harmful: Skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
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: Trade
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

Thrives in a sunny spot, in light, well-drained soil that is not too acidic. Protect from excess winter wet, and from hard frosts in colder locations; this cultivar is slightly more tender and may need more winter protection than other varieties. See rosemary cultivation for more advice

Propagation

Propagate by heel cuttings in spring or by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Mediterranean climate plants
Patio and container plants
Rock garden
Wildlife gardens
Banks and slopes
Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 9, trim annually in spring to keep plants compact

Pests

May be susceptible to rosemary beetle, cuckoo spit, sage leafhopper, tortrix moth and scale insects

Diseases

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