Salvia 'Blue Spire'- How to grow and care for

Salvia ‘Blue Spire’- (syn.  Russian sage, perovskia)

An upright, deciduous, woody perennial (sub-shrub) which adds colour to the Gravel and Scree Gardens in late summer at a time when plants offering similar shades of purple and blue, such as lavender and nepeta, have finished flowering. First, slender, white, upright stems are produced carrying aromatic, finely cut, grey-green leaves. From late July, masses of lavender-blue flowers emerge lasting well into September. As with most salvias, ‘Blue Spire’ is loved by bees.

Plants are resistant to drought and heat and have shrugged off the recent extreme weather here with no signs of stress. They thrive in full sun and a nutrient poor, free-draining soil. Our Gravel and Scree Gardens provide these conditions and as a result plants grow strongly and flower beautifully each year.

Russian sage is deciduous, meaning it will lose its small, grey-green foliage in winter. The white, slender stems left behind create a delicate display through the colder months. Plants eventually form a shrubby base and in spring, just as the buds begin to appear, cut the stems back to approximately two buds from this framework.

The bare, white stems in mid-December

Salvia 'Blue Spire' is included in our Drought Resistant Plant Collection. To find out more, CLICK HERE.

Written by Leanne Crozier