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Plant particulars Zones: 3 to 10
Height: 1 to 4 feet
Spread: Varies by species
Shape: Mounded to shrubby
Color: Blue, purple, pink or red flowers; silver-gray, green, or variegated leaves.
Bloom time: Summer, fall
Light needs: Full sun to light shade
Soil: Average; well-drained to dry
Like coneflowers, these perennials are easy to grow and will tolerate a wide variety of conditions (although they typically prefer well-drained soil). These plants are mounded to shrubby mints with tubular blue, purple, red, or pink flowers and square stems. Many salvias also have aromatic foliage.
Spiky salvias are super mid-border or edging plants for sunny gardens. Their upright habit contrasts beautifully with mounded plants, such as cranesbills and threadleaf coreopsis. They also look great combined with yuccas, yarrows, sedums, coneflowers, daylilies, daisies, mums, and ornamental grasses.
Plant salvias in full sun or light shade; they'll get leggy and flop in too much shade. Overly rich or moist soils also encourage flopping. Cutting the spent flower stems off your salvias can promote a second bloom in late summer. In fall or early spring, cut the plants back to the ground.
