Introducing...
Tender salvias
Botanical name: Salvia
Great for providing fresh, vibrant colour in late summer and early autumn. Tender salvias won’t normally survive the winter outdoors, so take cuttings and overwinter in a frost-free greenhouse or replace plants lost to frost with new ones the following spring.
Looks
A diverse group including shrubby Salvia leucantha (Mexican bush sage) and the well-known Salvia ‘Amistad’. Most colours are available.
Likes
Boost late-season flowering of tender salvias by planting in a position that still gets plenty of sun in autumn.
Dislikes
Tender salvias won’t survive hard frosts or prolonged cold or wet.
Did you know?
An alternative to taking cuttings is to dig up your tender salvias and keep them in pots somewhere light and frost free over winter. Or, plant them in containers to start with and move them indoors when frost threatens.
Growing guide
How to grow salvias
All the information you'll need to grow & care for salvias in your garden – including advice on growing conditions, planting, feeding, watering, deadheading, pruning, overwintering and propagating.
Tender salvias we recommend
Salvia 'Kisses and Wishes'
sage 'Kisses and Wishes'
- 0.5–1 metres
- 0.1–0.5 metres
Salvia cacaliifolia
Guatemalan leaf sage
- 0.5–1 metres
- 0.1–0.5 metres
Salvia confertiflora
Sabra spike sage
- 1–1.5 metres
- 0.1–0.5 metres
Salvia 'Kisses and Wishes'
sage 'Kisses and Wishes'
- 0.5–1 metres
- 0.1–0.5 metres
Salvia cacaliifolia
Guatemalan leaf sage
- 0.5–1 metres
- 0.1–0.5 metres
Salvia confertiflora
Sabra spike sage
- 1–1.5 metres
- 0.1–0.5 metres
Deadheading plants
Hardening off tender plants
Overwintering tender plants: lifting or mulching
Tender perennials: cuttings
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