Many beginning gardeners assume when they buy salvia plants, that they are all annuals...when in fact, perennial salvia are the majority. Thanks to the efforts of NC's resident salvia expert, Richard Dufresne, and many others, the genus salvia has become much more popular as a garden perennial. Our goal is to bring you the latest and the best of new woody and perennial salvia, including many native wildflowers like Salvia farinacea, Salvia greggii, Salvia nemorosa, Salvia microphylla, and Salvia guaranitica from the Southwest US and Mexico.
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Perennial salvia flowers come in a wide range of colors including, red, pink, salmon, coral, orange, yellow, purple, blue, white and everything between. There are dozens of perennial salvia species and cultivars to choose from, each with a slightly different flower color. While salvia flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden, they are generally not browsed by deer.
As a group most perennial salvias prefer full bright sun and well-drained soil, although a few are shade plants. Once established, many perennial salvias are quite-drought tolerant. For many of the marginally hardy perennial salvias, we recommend they not be cut back until early spring, since water will fill cut branches and freeze in winter, killing the plant.
Salvia greggii and Salvia microphylla are two of the most popular woody perennial salvia species for sale, each available in a range of colors. Salvia nemorosa is the most popular of the perennial salvia species, in part because of its wide range of hardiness. Many other perennial salvias are only winter-hardy in the mid- or Deep South. Salvia guaranitica is also a popular species, particularly the clone Salvia 'Black and Blue'.
We grow a very large selection of perennial salvias for sale, so when you're ready to buy salvia plants for your perennial garden, we hope you'll check our our online list of salvia plants for sale at Plant Delights.
Since 1988, Plant Delights Nursery has been the choice of serious gardeners and plant collectors looking for the best and rarest perennial plants. We are pleased to have received the Perennial Plant Association Retail Award in 2011, the American Horticulture Society Commercial Award in 2002, and to have been selected as one of the Best Mail Order Plant Sources - Garden Design Magazine 2010. Welcome to our family of plant lovers!
Emerging from dormancy in early spring, the 3' tall clumps of Salvia 'Black and Blue' are clothed in fuzzy green, spade-shaped leaves. From early June (NC) through October, the slowly spreading patches are topped with 1' spikes of narrow, long, snapdragon-like, luscious, deep blue flowers...a hummingbird favorite. Salvia 'Black and Blue' differs from other anise sage cultivars in that the calyx (the little cup that holds the open flower) is black instead of the usual green. In rich soil, a 5-year-old clump of Salvia 'Black and Blue' can spread to 6' wide. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This amazing hummingbird favorite makes a stunning 7' tall clump that doesn't run. That's right, great height and no running...ranks up there with "tastes great and less filling." The rich green leaves adorn this amazing giant that rockets skyward when grown in rich soil. The green stems are clothed in large 6'' long x 5" wide, dark green leaves, then topped, starting in late May, with spikes of cobalt-blue flowers...a stunning garden specimen and favorite of high-flying hummingbirds. Salvia 'Van Remsen', a probable hybrid of Salvia guaranitica 'Brazil' x Salvia guaranitica 'Costa Rica', was discovered in James Van Remsen's Louisiana garden and later named and distributed by salvia guru, Rich Dufresne. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This fabulous little salvia from Japan has large, hairy green foliage that makes a spectacular bold effect in the garden. While Salvia koyamae will grow in the sun, it prefers a shady woodland setting. The 3' wide clumps are adorned with soft yellow flowers from late summer through fall...great in a mass planting! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
The Mexican bush sage is so wonderful that northern gardeners grow it as a prized annual. Fortunately for us, it is hardy in the warmer parts of Zone 7...reliable for us to 0 degrees F. I still recommend early establishment in Zone 7, and no cutting back until spring. The hairy leaves clothe the upright stems that are topped with spectacular purple-and-white velvety flowers from late summer until frost in the fall. Salvia leucantha is great as a hummingbird acclaimed accent in the back of the border or in a vase! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(syn: Salvia leucantha All Purple) This is the same wonderful late summer and fall blooming salvia as Salvia leucantha, but instead of white florets inside the purple calyces, the florets are also dark velvety-purple...a hummingbird delight. It's hard to imagine, but visitors who see it in flower don't leave without one...another of those great flowers to fondle! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This amazing introduction from California is a breakthrough in the world of salvias. Imagine a wonderful fall-flowering Salvia leucantha that only reaches 2' tall, but with a spread of 3-4' in width, and you have Salvia 'Santa Barbara'. Whether used as a hardy perennial in the milder zones or as a tender or container perennial in the North, the clumps are topped with spikes of fuzzy purple, with a nicely contrasting lighter purple lip, from mid-September until frost...a simply dazzling hummingbird delight. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
It was love at first sight when I first laid eyes on Madeline...that's Salvia 'Madeline'. Salvia 'Madeline' is a 2009 introduction, discovered by garden designer, Piet Oudolf of Holland in 2000 as a open pollinated seedling in a patch of Salvia hians. Salvia 'Madeline' forms an 18" wide basal rosette of non-fragrant, 7" long green leaves, topped in May and June with 2' tall stalks of amazing bicolor flowers...a blue upper calyx with a white lower lip...a simply fabulous hummingbird haven. Bright sun and good drainage are the keys to success. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
You are sure to love this fun new PDN selection of the giant Salvia madrensis. In order to jazz up what are arguably some of the best stems in the perennial world, we have hand-painted each of the 7' giant winged stems dark red-violet. These colorful stems support the large, fuzzy, silvery green leaves, then beginning in late September (a month earlier than most other forms), the stems end in large panicles of butter-yellow flowers. We are excited about taking a great plant and making it even better. We hope you appreciate all the work we went through just for you! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This Rich Dufresne hybrid between Salvia grahamii and Salvia microphylla is the hardiest red form we have grown. The narrow green foliage persists on the woody stems until temperatures drop below the mid-teens. Salvia 'Maraschino' blooms heavily in the spring, sporadically in the summer, and then heavily from September through November...bright velvet-red flowers and a hummingbird party! Sorry, but the RHS doesn't have a color to match Salvia 'Maraschino'. The 3' wide clump prefers a location that is well-drained, especially during the winter months. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Outrageously cool! This wild selection of the Mexican Salvia microphylla was introduced by Richard Turner of California after the plant was shared with him by his maid, who brought it from her home in Mexico. The fast-growing, 30" tall x 6' wide clump is adorned with stunning bicolor flowers with red tips and white lips...attractive to hummingbirds. When the nights warm in summer, the new flowers are all red with an occasional solid white one. As fall approaches, the flowers again will be bicolored red and white. Even if your school colors aren't red and white, this is truly a "must-have" salvia! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This 1997 Yucca Do introduction was discovered 5 years earlier in Tamaulipas, Mexico, in the village of San Carlos at 3,800'. This selection was the best of a population in full flower in October. This compact grower (2' tall x 3' wide) has proven to be the most floriferous selection we have grown in our gardens. The clump is adorned with hundreds of red-violet (RHS 66A) flowers celebrated by hummingbirds from early May through November here in NC...superb! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Of the Salvia x sylvestris cultivars we have seen and trialed, Salvia 'Caradonna' is one of the finest and most distinctive. From Zillmer Nursery in Germany, Salvia 'Caradonna' was discovered as a seedling of Salvia 'Wesuve' and in 2000 was awarded the Outstanding New Perennial award by the International Hardy Plant Union. The 12" tall x 18" wide clump is composed of dark purple stems clothed with felty green leaves. In midsummer, the clumps are topped with dramatic upright 2' tall spikes of vivid blue-violet (RHS 89A)...a simply stunning hummingbird favorite! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This variegated foliage salvia is a Barry Yinger introduction from Japan. Salvia 'Fuji Snow' has a growth habit similar to Salvia koyamae (but half the size) with hairy green leaves that form a basal rosette which expands to a 2' wide clump. Each leaf is surrounded by a white margin that becomes muted during the hot weather. During late summer, the clumps are smothered with 18" stalks of light yellow flowers...WILD AND WONDERFUL! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
I never expected to have a salvia that shaded out buddleias, but such is the case with Salvia 'Phyllis Fancy'. Named for Phyllis Norris, this wonderful seedling, thought to be a hybrid between Salvia leucantha and possibly Salvia chiapensis, occurred at the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum. It is similar but larger and hardier than Salvia 'Waverly' and has been perennial to 8 degrees F in our trials. The 7' tall clumps are only 1' wide at the bottom but have a 7' wide spread at the top...like a barrel-chested man with tiny feet. Starting in early September and continuing until frost, the clumps are topped with 1' long purple spikes of hummingbird attracting light lavender flowers, each held in a bicolor calyx, purple on top and green on the bottom...a dramatic garden specimen! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This selection of Salvia puberula (with particularly large and colorful flowers) was collected by John Fairey and Carl Schoenfeld of Yucca Do in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, at 7,000' elevation. The velvety green leaves adorn the 4' tall upright stalks that are topped, starting in late October, with a flower head of deep magenta-pink resembling a pink cotton ball that was plugged into an electrical outlet...a great form of this wonderful salvia. We have grown Salvia puberula 'El Butano' for over a decade and have never had any winter losses in Zone 7b. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This Dr. Rich Dufresne collection from Jame, Coahuila, Mexico, is a star in southern gardens. The glossy-green, round foliage adorns this upright-growing woody salvia to nearly 4' tall. In early fall (October for us), this cultivar is adorned with 3" long scarlet-orange, tubular flowers...a hummingbird's version of winning the Powerball lottery. Salvia regla is quite unique in the world of hardy salvias! Further south, Salvia regla could reach 10' tall...gasp! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(aka: Salvia leptophylla) Salvia reptans is another truly fabulous native salvia that seems to have completely missed cultivation! This easy-to-grow Texas native is a close relative of Salvia azurea, but, in my opinion, is a much nicer plant. Normally a lax plant, this upright form was collected by Pat McNeal of Texas in the Davis Mountains at 4,000' in Davis County, Texas. The needle-thin, green leaves adorn the 3' tall stems and in September it bursts forth at the tips with vivid, dark cobalt-blue flowers. Native to the Trans-Pecos region, it is found in dry, gravelly, mountainous washes. Despite this affinity for well-drained soils, it has performed marvelously in the muggy Southeast. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Salvia 'Shell Dancer' is a sister seedling of Salvia 'Dancing Dolls' (S. greggii x microphylla), from California's Suncrest Nursery. The 18" tall x 4' wide deer-resistant clump of woody stems is topped with terminal stalks of light salmon pink flowers, highlighted by a dark pink upper lip, but in this case, the calyxes and stems are green, unlike its sibling...a hummingbird favorite. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
We are always on the lookout for good new garden sages and this is the best we have seen recently. This cross of Salvia darcyi x Salvia microphylla was discovered by Art Petley of Austin, Texas. Looking superficially like Salvia microphylla, the 3' wide clump is topped all summer with 15" spikes of rich, dark orange-red (RHS 42A). In the fall, the number of flowers explodes into a solid mass of color...a hummingbird party plant. Salvia 'Silke's Dream' is a particularly durable and easy-to-grow sage that is destined for stardom. Thanks to Scott Ogden for sharing this exciting salvia hybrid that we admired in his Texas garden during a 2000 visit. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This upright stoloniferous salvia displays a beautiful cloud of clear, light-blue flowers from June (NC) through fall...an open and airy habit...one of our favorites! Bog sage is at home in a moist setting; ours doesn't spread as fast or get as tall in drier sites. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
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