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Herbaceous Perennial

Salvia verticillata
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

whorled clary

S. verticillata is a bushy upright perennial with dark green, lyre-shaped leaves and slender spikes of small, violet-blue flowers in summer

Other common names
whorled blue sage
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Blue Green
Autumn Green
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

West–facing or South–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical 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
Europe to Russia

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained soil and full sun with shelter from cold, drying winds

Propagation

Propagate by seed in spring. Take basal stem cuttings in late spring; stem-tip cuttings in late summer or in early autumn and propagate by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Coastal
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Garden edging
  • Wall side borders
Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails, aphids, capsid bug, leafhoppers and rosemary beetle may damage young growth

Diseases

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

Get involved

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