Bountiful Gardens

The Vertical Virtuoso: Annual Salvia

Annual Salvias are famous for their tall, square stems and tubular flowers. They come in every color of the rainbow, but they are most prized for their true blues, royal purples, and fire-engine reds.

Role in the Garden

• Design Category: Thriller. Even the shorter varieties provide a strong vertical "spike" that breaks up the round shapes of other annuals.

• Best Placement: Taller types (like 'Amistad') belong at the back of the border. Mid-sized types (like 'Victoria Blue') are perfect as the centerpiece of a container.

• Bloom Season: Early Summer through the first hard frost. They are marathon bloomers that actually get better as the season progresses.

Care & Maintenance

• Hummingbird Magnetism: Salvias are arguably the #1 plant for attracting Hummingbirds. The tubular flowers are perfectly designed for their long beaks.

• Deadheading is Essential: Once a flower spike finishes blooming from bottom to top, snip the entire stalk off at its base. This prevents the plant from making seeds and forces it to send up 2 or 3 new spikes in its place.

• Deer & Rabbit Resistant: Like their culinary cousin (Common Sage), annual salvias have aromatic foliage that most critters find "stinky" and unpalatable.

• The "Summer Slump": Some varieties may slow down in extreme 35°C+ heat. If they look tired, give them a "haircut" (remove the top 1/3) to refresh the plant for autumn.

The Essential Tip for Beginners

The "Stem Snap" Test: If you aren't sure where to cut when deadheading, look at the stem. Salvias have square stems (typical of the mint family). Always cut just above a set of leaves. You will usually see two tiny "baby" stems already starting to grow in the leaf joints—these are your next round of flowers!