How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Salvia Flowers
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Planting
All salvias do best in full sun (6–8 hours of sunlight per day) and well-draining soil. Many varieties (typically those with light-colored flowers) will also do well in part-shade, but flowering will be reduced.
When to Plant Salvia
- Direct-sow salvia seed outdoors after all danger of frost has passed in the spring. See local frost dates.
How to Plant Salvia
- Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 inches, removing any large stones or roots. Mix in a 3-inch layer of compost to provide nutrients.
- If planting in a container, add some grit to the compost to improve drainage and nutrition absorption in spring. Plants grown in garden soil don’t need feeding.
- Dig a hole twice the diameter of the container the plant is in.
- Remove the plant from its container and place it in the hole so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface.
- Space plants 1 to 3 feet apart, depending on the variety.
- Carefully fill in around the plant and firm the soil gently.
- Water thoroughly.
Growing
- Add a 2-inch layer of mulch around the plant to retain moisture and control weeds.
- Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. Salvia does not like excessive summer irrigation.
- Feed container plants in the spring. Plants grown in a garden bed really don’t need feeding during the season.
- To encourage continuous blooms throughout the season, deadhead spent flowers periodically.
- At the end of the season, leave flowers on plants to encourage reseeding (and to feed the birds).
- Some develop woody lower stems with age; feel free to prune this.
- After the first killing frost, cut stems back to 1 or 2 inches above the soil line.
- Divide perennial salvias every few years. The best time to divide is in early spring before new growth begins. Just lift, divide into clumps, and replant.
- Every spring, apply a new thick layer of compost and mulch again.
Propagating Salvia
For the adventurous gardener, salvia cuttings can be taken in the spring or early fall.
Some salvias often self-propagate, so you might find seedlings you can use in other parts of your landscape!
Before flower buds have developed, take cuttings (remove stems) from vegetative (non-flowering) branches that are about 3 to 5 inches long. Remove the lower leaves and trim each cutting just below a node (a node is where a leaf emerges from a stem).
Insert the cuttings into a pot of pre-watered compost. Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag, trying to position the bag so that it does not touch the foliage.
Place cuttings in a spot with indirect light. After three weeks, cuttings should be ready to pot on.
Part of the mint family (Lamiaceae), the genus Salvia includes about 960 species; many of the tender perennials are grown as annuals in cold regions. Depending on the variety, plants can be 18 inches to 5 feet tall, but many are suitable for containers, too.
These common salvias are usually grown as annuals; they may be grown as perennials in warmer regions:
- Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans): Mexico/Guatemala native; bright red, edible flowers in late summer; leaves emit a fruity fragrance when crushed; up to 4 feet tall; hardy in Zones 8 and up
- Scarlet or Texas sage (S. coccinea): bright red flowers; hardy in Zones 9 and higher; 1 to 3 feet tall
- Scarlet bedding sage (S. splendens): Brazilian native; flowers can be red, purple, orange, lavender, yellow, or white; heart-shaped leaves; up to 2 feet tall
These salvias are usually grown as perennials:
- Autumn sage (S. greggii): blooms from spring to frost in a rainbow of colors; disease-free and drought-tolerant; 2- to 3-foot–tall mounding form
- Hybrid sage (S. x superba): ideal for cold areas; rosy purple blooms in late spring to early summer; rebloom to fall if faded flowers are cut back; 1 to 2 feet tall; ‘Rose Queen’ bears pink flowers
- Pitcher sage (S. azurea var. grandiflora), aka blue sage: aromatic foliage; large, sky-blue flowers in late fall; 3- to 5-foot clumping form
- Peruvian sage (S. discolor): native to Peru; leaves are gray-green on the top, with white undersides; dark purple flowers; spreading, floppy form; 1 to 3 feet tall
Catherine Boeckmann
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Hi Mary,
While deadheading salvia is not necessary for its survival, it can promote better blooming, encourage new blooms, and help in your plant’s overall vigor when done correctly.
The ideal time to start deadheading your salvia is after the initial flowering period when the blooms start to fade. Using a pair of sharp pruning shears, remove the faded flowers just above the highest set of leaves or side shoots. Multiple salvia blooms will grow from a central stalk so you will likely see more blooms grow, and that is why you only want to deadhead those with dead or fading flowers and blooms. You may have to deadhead multiple times over the course of the season, but you will be rewarded for your efforts with many beautiful blooms.
Once your blooms are done for the season you have a decision to make about the last set of spent flowers: You can either deadhead to prevent seeds or let them be to encourage reseeding.
Hope this helps!
I ordered may night salvia and didnt realize i was just getting the roots. will they grow quickly to have flowers producing this season? do you just plant the root in the ground?
We raise rabbits/sheep and chickens on out homestead and the rabbits absolutely love sage as a treat, not a repellent at all
My purple salvia has been neglected for 10 years. The stems are 1+inch thick and over 5’ tall leaning over 5’ from the base. Can I cut it back and start over?
Charley-
You can consider cutting it back to the bottom of the plant, just above ground level. Plants will regrow fresh leaves and the next round of blooms.
How do I get my Salvia to stand up straight. They were straight up last week and this week they are falling to the sides.
There are a number of reasons that salvias will flop over. When salvia plants get too much water, are over-fertilized, or do not get enough sun it can cause blooms to fall to the ground.
As the summer progresses, humid conditions can also cause this issue. It can also happen after flowering or if blooms become too heavy.
You can consider cutting it back to the bottom of the plant, just above ground level. Plants will regrow a fresh set of leaves and the next round of blooms.
I just planted small salvia plants. How much do they grow in one season? How long until maturity?
It all depends on variety, as salvias will grow anywhere from 18 inches to 5 feet tall. Plants will reach maturity in the first season.
In spring when can we expect new growth to come up?
