Sage Purple

Description

Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’ – purple sage

Botanical name: Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’
Common names: Purple sage
Family: Lamiaceae (mint family)
Plant type: Evergreen aromatic sub-shrub
Habit: Bushy, mound-forming
Pot size: 1 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 45–60cm tall × 60cm spread
Foliage: Soft, felted, aromatic grey-green leaves flushed purple, richest on the young growth; evergreen
Flowers: Spikes of blue-purple flowers in early summer (June–July)
Scent: Strongly aromatic foliage
Aspect / light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained; poor to average; tolerates lime; dislikes wet; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H5 (hardy, to about −15°C); USDA zones 5–9
Exposure: Open, hot, dry, sunny
Native range: Native to the Mediterranean
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic to people and pets

Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’, purple sage, is a handsome evergreen aromatic sub-shrub with soft grey-green leaves flushed purple, and blue-purple flowers in early summer. Ornamental and drought-tolerant, it is superb for sunny borders.

GardenAdvice notes

A beautiful purple-leaved form of common sage, ‘Purpurascens’ has soft, aromatic foliage flushed with dusky purple, richest on the young growth, making it as much a decorative foliage plant as a herb. It has the same tough, drought-tolerant, Mediterranean nature as the plain species, and its early-summer flowers are loved by bees.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring in well-drained soil in full sun — sage thrives on poor, dry soils and dislikes rich, wet, heavy ground, which shortens its life. It tolerates lime and drought. Ideal for sunny borders, gravel, herb gardens and containers. Improve heavy soil with grit. Space about 50cm apart.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. Trim lightly after flowering, or in spring, to keep it bushy and compact, but avoid cutting hard back into the old, bare wood, which it is reluctant to reshoot from. Water only while establishing; thereafter it is drought-tolerant. Replace or layer old, woody, sprawling plants every few years.

Propagation

• Cuttings: Take softwood or semi-ripe cuttings in summer.
• Layering: Peg down low stems to root, then detach.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free in a sunny, well-drained spot. Its main enemy is wet, heavy soil, which causes rot, and old plants tend to go woody and sprawl open at the base. Rosemary beetle may occasionally appear.

Uses in the garden

Superb for sunny borders, gravel and Mediterranean-style gardens, herb gardens, silver and foliage plantings, and containers, where its aromatic foliage sets off brighter colours.

Wildlife value

The early-summer flowers are very attractive to bees and other pollinating insects, and the aromatic foliage is generally left alone by browsing animals.

Toxicity & safety

This herb is generally regarded as non-toxic to people and pets.

GardenAdvice tip

Purple sage is a wonderful foliage plant, its dusky purple leaves a lovely foil for silver, gold or bright flowers in a sunny border. The purple is richest on the young growth, so a trim after flowering both keeps it bushy and brings a fresh flush of colour — just never cut back into the bare old wood, which it won’t regrow from.

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