Ultra Violet Sage

It’s always nice to find plants that come on strong when everything else has tired out. This Sage starts up the last half of summer and continues into fall with it’s vibrant purple flowers. Frost is the only thing that stops it and then it only goes to sleep and comes back again next spring. Most Salvias that look similar, like the Autumns Sages or Salvia greggii aren’t all that cold hardy but this one is reputed to be hardy to Zone 5! It is still best to leave all the stems up until spring to make sure it survives the winter wet, and then prune back when new leaves begin to emerge. ‘Ultra Violet’ performs best in well draining soil in full, hot sun. It looks great in a pot, combined with Mediterranean herbs or the front of a border. The spicy scented, dark green, foliage keeps deer and rabbits away, adding to our choices for deer resistant perennials. This Salvia gets about 20″ tall and 24-28″ wide. The long bloom time keeps the hummingbirds happy as fall begins to limit their choices. Thanks to one of our favorite garden writers- Lauren Springer Odgen, for this selection.