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How to Grow Salvias: The Complete Salvia Flower Guide

Salvia in Blue
Photo Credit
Sonia Bonet
Botanical Name
Salvia spp.
Plant Type
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Soil pH
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
Blue
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Yellow
Hardiness Zone
5
6
7
8
9
10
Special Features
Attracts Butterflies

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Salvia Flowers

Catherine Boeckmann
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Perennial salvias (aka sage) are heat-loving, deer-resistant plants that thrive from midsummer through fall. The bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds can’t resist them! Learn how to grow, cut back, and care for salvia flowers.

About Salvia

Part of the mint family (Lamiaceae), salvias provide colorful spikes of densely packed flowers with tubular blossoms atop square stems and velvety leaves. Their flowers come in a range of colors, including purple, blue, red, pink, and white.

“Salvia” and “sage” are often used interchangeably; we tend to use “salvia” for the ornamental plant and “sage” for the culinary herb. However, garden sage has a few attractive ornamental varieties itself. 

Hummingbirds and butterflies love salvias’ tubular flowers, and they’re adored by bees, too, so plant them if you wish to attract these pretty pollinators!

Fortunately, salvia does not tend to attract deer or rabbits. Salvia leaves’ distinctive, pungent odor acts as a repellent to garden pests. Find more deer-resistant plants.

Salvias are heat- and drought-tolerant, making them survivors in the summer garden. They grow 18 inches to 5 feet tall, depending on the variety. Salvias of all types can be grown in containers, too.

Take care when choosing salvias because not all plants are hardy in all regions; some are best treated as annuals, but many perennial varieties are also available.

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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.

pink salvia flowers

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. 

Goldfinches on purple salvia

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.

Types

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
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Wit and Wisdom

  • Ancient Romans believed that salvia stimulated the brain and memory; they also used it to clean their teeth.
  • Salvia comes from the Latin salvere, meaning “to heal.” Salvia has been used for its herbal and medicinal qualities since ancient times.
  • The common kitchen herb sage—Salvia officinalis—is a relative of the many ornamental species and has a few attractive ornamental varieties.

Pests/Diseases

Pests and diseases are rarely an issue for salvia growers. Here are possible issues:

Flowers
About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

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Comments

Angela (not verified)

9 months 3 weeks ago

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?

Zach (not verified)

1 year 3 months ago

We raise rabbits/sheep and chickens on out homestead and the rabbits absolutely love sage as a treat, not a repellent at all

Charley (not verified)

1 year 5 months ago

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.


 

Luz Dary (not verified)

1 year 9 months ago

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.

NANCY RIESS (not verified)

1 year 9 months ago

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.

Renee B (not verified)

1 year 10 months ago

In spring when can we expect new growth to come up?

Hi Renee, It depends on the variety of salvia and the climate in which you live.  For many folks, salvia emerges mid-May and cues the spring-into-summer transition!