Natural salve

Salvias have long been a classic addition to Australian gardens thanks to their ability to thrive in a range of climates and their generous flowering. Most salvias flower for months on end and their beautiful blooms are magnets for nectar-loving birds, bees and other beneficial insects. However, the focus is often on salvias that flower during the warmer months. In doing so, we’re overlooking the salvias, mostly from Central America, that continue the show during the cooler seasons. Here are a couple of winter-flowering superstars to get you thinking:

Pineapple sage (S. elegans)
This salvia (pictured above) flowers generously, producing spikes of scarlet-red blooms with green calyces. Flowers and foliage are both edible and release a pineapple scent when crushed. ‘Golden Delicious’ bears the same bright red flowers but has golden-yellow foliage. Prune hard in spring. It is tolerant of light frost.

• Flowers summer, autumn and winter
• Position in full sun
• Grows 1–1.15m high and 1–1.5m wide
• Suitable for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate climates

Roseleaf sage (S. involucrata)
This is a tall salvia with flower heads made up of cerise-pink flowers, including a distinctive fat bud at the end. The leaves are large and mid-green. Prune to 1m after flowering or even harder in early summer. ‘Joan’ and ‘Mulberry Jam’ are shorter forms, while ‘Pink Icicles’ is paler in colour, and shorter. Roseleaf sage handles light frost.

• Flowers autumn, winter and spring
• Position in full sun or semi shade
• Grows 3–4m high and 2–3m wide
• Suitable for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate climates

Header image by iStock