Spectacular, Stress-Free Salvias for Northern California

These low-maintenance perennials dazzle gardeners and pollinators alike with colorful blooms and fragrant foliage

Salvias ( Salviaspp . and cvs . , Zones 5–11 ) , or sages , can be spring up for medicinal , culinary , or ornamental use . For nurseryman wishing to ornament their cosmetic beds and borders , there are a chain of mountains of sage available in various heights , hardiness ranges , foliage colors and textures , and of course bloom shapes and colour . Salvias are vigorous raiser and are disease and pest resistant , with beautiful nectar - filled flower adore by pollinators and hummingbirds likewise . Most sage are relatively well-to-do to farm , but the following four are ridiculously so , even for novice gardeners . And yet they give salient result !

Compact white salvia

S. apiana‘Compacta ’ , Zones 7–10

Compact bloodless sage has all of the first-class quality of the straight species on a flora one-half as marvelous . This evergreen California native is drought - large-minded , cervid and pest resistant , and a hummingbird and pollinator magnet . It grow only 2 to 3 foot high and wide . Its habit is dense and shaggy-haired , with sturdy radical covered in gyre of pink - blushed and silver - blank foliage that is powerfully fragrant . From late spring to summer , dainty white efflorescence bloom on slim , 2 - foot - tenacious flower stiletto heel . Compact snowy salvia is the utter pick for a low - criminal maintenance garden . Requiring little summertime irrigation ( watering every two week is adequate once established ) , a full - sun location , and excellent drainage , this dish requires little but deadheading after it blooms to keep it heavyset and happy .

‘Hot Lips’ salvia

S. microphylla‘Hot Lips ’ , Zones 7–11

sorcerous , indestructible , and undemanding ! All year long , airy clouds of ruby-red - and - white bicolor flowers flower in abundance on the ‘ Hot Lips ’ salvia in my garden , which delight the local hummingbirds and bumblebees . All I do is cut it back severely once a twelvemonth in January or February to keep it from becoming too gangly . Cutting it back is the most difficult thing about growing this salvia because it ’s constantly flowering , but I sting the bullet and shear it because I cognize that I ’ll be rewarded by a flush of vigorous , fragrant fresh leaf and bountiful blooms all the agency to next yr ’s pruning . in the beginning from Mexico and first stick in by the San Francisco Botanical Gardens , ‘ Hot Lips ’ salvia keeps it interesting by occasionally not producing bicolored flowers , or else blossom in all red or all snowy . This shrubby evergreen reaches 3 understructure grandiloquent and 6 fundament wide in full sun with regular to infrequent irrigation and performs skillful in amended , well - drained filth .

Canary Island salvia

S. canariensisvar.candidissima , zone 8–10

The stems and leafage of Canary Island salvia are bright , foggy , and silver white , and its riding habit is rugged and engaged . It is a straightaway - grow repeated topped from summer through drop with an extraordinary display of gorgeous , 12 - inch - long flower spike . Atop the spike are dusky magenta calyxes that hold lavender - blue , vasiform blooms . This long - blooming Canary Island aboriginal is a dazzling sight at the back of a gay boundary line , reaching a striking 4 to 5 feet magniloquent and wide in a unmarried time of year . Like most salvias , Canary Island salvia is extremely popular with pollinators and hummingbirds and is also deer - resistant , snail - proof , drought - resistant , and evergreen plant , requiring nothing more than hard pruning ( to 2 feet grandiloquent ) in late winter . This silver stunner is happiest when planted in amended , well - drained filth in a sunny location , and it requires little to no summertime irrigation once established .

‘Purple Majesty’ salvia

S.‘Purple Majesty ’ , Zones 7–11

Introduced by the Huntington Gardens in 1980 , ‘ Purple Majesty ’ salvia is a hybridization between blue anise salvia ( S. guaranitica , Zones 7–10 ) and Mexican vermilion salvia ( S. gesneriiflora , Zones 8–11 ) . It make a fabulous , long - blossom addition to the back of the border . This multibranched , shrubby perennial is densely clothed in fragrant , fertile green foliage . It dependably bursts into flower in former summertime with a profusion of graceful 8 - to-12 - inch - foresightful bloom spike , which stock huge drear purple blooms . Flowering all the direction through fall and adored by pollinators and hummingbird , it also makes an excellent pick for a home ground garden . ‘ Purple Majesty ’ salvia contact 4 feet tall and wide and favour light shade inland , although it can take full sun in coastal areas . It does salutary with even irrigation and compost - full-bodied , well - enfeeble soil . This salvia is evergreen in milder zone . thin out it back by one-half in late winter or other spring .

— Fionuala Campion is the owner and manager of Cottage Gardens of Petaluma in Petaluma , California .

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