• Image of Salvia glabrescens 'Momobana'|Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC|JLBG

    Photo by JLBG taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC

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Salvia glabrescens 'Momobana'

Momobana Hairless Japanese Woodland Sage

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

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Item #: 9302

Zones: 5b to 7b

Dormancy: Winter

Height: 18" tall

Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade

Origin: Japan

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


(aka: Salvia nipponica v. glabrescens) Salvia 'Momobana' is a pink-flowered selection of the little-known hairless perennial Japanese sage, which hails from the steep mountainous forests of Central Honshu. The small 18" tall x 18" wide clumps of glossy, dark green, arrow-shaped leaves are topped starting in October with lovely spikes of hot pink flowers. While Salvia glabrescens can take an hour or two of morning sun, it needs shade the rest of the day and moist, organic soils are best...very cool!

Maintenance:

The tidy gardener will want to cut Salvia glabrescens to the ground once a killing frost has ended its glorious fall display. This is about all the maintenance this salvia needs. Though, it is perhaps possible that in a small garden one might need to, after many years, divide the clump and reduce its size, replanting divisions elsewhere or sharing them with others.

Growing Conditions:

Yes, dear gardener, there are salvias that prefer shade to sun, and Salvia glabrescens is a superb plant for the shade garden. Make it bright shade, or a few hours of sun. Salvia glabrescens tolerates a wide range of soil types except soggy or excessively dry.

Natural Impact:

Got shade? Want flowers? Want color? In the fall? Then plant Salvia glabrescens! This is a show-stopper in the shady garden in the fall and a plant that is easy to grow and generally avoided by deer and rabbits. Salvias are generally visited by pollinators so this one might be as well. Combine it with other shade-tolerant fall blooming plants such as toadlily, Tricyrtis.

The color range of Salvia glabrescens is purple and violet. There are other shade tolerant, late summer to fall blooming Salvias such as Salvia glutinosa, Salvia nipponica and Salvia koyamae all of which are shades of yellow and differ in plant size.