Salvia 'Indigo Spires'

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sage 'Indigo Spires'

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Herbaceous Perennial
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A woody-based, herbaceous perennial, up to 1.3m high, with aromatic, ovate green leaves and tall spikes of indigo-blue flowers from summer to autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
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)
H3

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Foliage
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Lamiaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
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
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in light, moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but very well-drained soil in full sun with shelter from cold, drying winds; in frost-free areas in winter, protect from excessive wet, while in frost-prone areas protect plants with biodegradable fleece, move plants under cover, or take cuttings to provide next year's plants - if kept in a heated greenhouse overwinter it will remain evergreen. See our video How to care for tender salvia for more advice

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring, by basal or softwood cuttings in spring or early summer, or by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Patio and container plants
  • Mediterranean climate plants
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Wall side borders

Pruning

Cut back spent flower spikes to prolong flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to capsid bug, leafhoppers, slugs and snails; under glass, may be susceptible to aphids, glasshouse red spider mite, and glasshouse whitefly

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and Verticillium wilt; under glass, may be susceptible to foot and root rots