Caradonna salvia

Sun

Full sun; light shade is tolerated, but flowering is reduced and stems may lean.

Water

Water regularly during establishment. Once rooted, water during prolonged dry spells; avoid constantly wet soil.

Soil

Well-drained soil, including sandy, chalky or loamy ground; tolerates clay if drainage is good. Average fertility is sufficient.

Height

1.5-2.5 ft (0.45-0.75 m)

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Violet-blue flowers from late spring into summer, with a smaller repeat flush in late summer or early autumn after cutting back.

Foliage

Aromatic, grey-green to mid-green leaves with a wrinkled surface and toothed edges; mostly clustered near the base.

Growth

Moderate; usually forms a substantial flowering clump within two growing seasons.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.3 ft (0.4 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   2 ft (0.6 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply after planting and during dry weather in the first growing season.
• Keep the crown out of standing water, especially through winter; improve drainage or use a raised bed on wet sites.
• Apply a thin layer of compost in spring if soil is poor; avoid heavy feeding, which encourages floppy growth.
• Keep mulch clear of the crown rather than burying the basal shoots.
• Divide congested clumps in spring, usually every three to four years if flowering declines.
• Staking is rarely needed in full sun; use a discreet support if stems lean in an exposed position.

Pruning. After the main flower spikes fade, cut the flowering stems back to healthy basal leaves to encourage another flush. Remove remaining dead stems in late winter or early spring before new shoots lengthen.

Late winter

Cut away dead stems and check that wet leaves or mulch are not smothering the crown.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps when the ground is workable, then water them in thoroughly.

Mid-spring

Add a light compost dressing if needed and check emerging shoots for slugs.

Early summer

Water during prolonged dry spells and enjoy the main flowering display.

Midsummer

Cut faded flower stems back to the basal foliage and water if the soil is dry.

Autumn

Leave some late flower heads for structure, but remove collapsed or diseased growth.

• Repeat small groups along a sunny path to create a steady rhythm of dark stems and violet flowers.
• Plant among ornamental grasses for upright flower spikes against fine, moving foliage.
• Combine with roses and catmint to soften the front of a mixed border without hiding taller plants.
• Use in a sunny gravel garden with yarrow and stonecrop, provided the roots have free drainage.

Garden styles it suits: New perennial (prairie), Cottage garden, Pollinator garden, Dry gravel garden, Blues and silvers and Modern Mediterranean.

Plant it with: Catmint, Roses, Yarrow, Coneflower, Feather reed grass and Autumn stonecrop.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees, including bumblebees, and are also visited by butterflies. Deer and rabbits often leave the aromatic foliage alone, but browsing is still possible.

• Crown or root rot in waterlogged soil: improve drainage, keep mulch away from the crown and replace badly rotted plants.
• Slugs and snails eating spring shoots: check young growth regularly and use barriers, hand removal or labelled slug controls where needed.
• Powdery mildew in crowded or stressed plants: improve spacing, water the soil during drought and remove badly affected foliage.
• Floppy stems and weak flowering: move to fuller sun, reduce fertiliser and avoid excessive watering.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is recognised as a significant poisoning hazard, but this ornamental salvia is not a substitute for culinary sage and should not be treated as a food plant.

• East Friesland salvia (Salvia nemorosa 'Ostfriesland')

  Usually has a shorter, bushier outline and denser flower spikes; Caradonna has particularly conspicuous dark purple stems and a slimmer, more upright appearance.

• Catmint (Nepeta × faassenii)

  Forms a softer, spreading mound with grey-green leaves and loose sprays of lavender flowers rather than Caradonna's narrow, upright spikes.

• Russian sage (Salvia yangii)

  Usually grows taller and woodier, with silvery, deeply divided leaves and airy branched flower sprays rather than broad basal leaves and compact spikes.

Salvia comes from the Latin salvare, meaning to heal or save, while nemorosa means of woods or groves.

Propagation. Divide healthy clumps in spring or take basal cuttings from young shoots. Seedlings may differ from the parent, so use vegetative propagation to retain Caradonna's dark stems and upright habit.

Accepted botanical name

Salvia nemorosa

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Afghanistan, Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Central European Rus, Czechoslovakia, East European Russia, France, Greece, Hungary, Iran and Italy.

Measured

Average height 45 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.