Salvia greggii Mirage Violet

Salvia greggii Mirage Violet is a compact shrubby sage that blooms abundantly from spring to autumn, without interruption if the soil remains slightly moist in summer. Its violet flowers which are large for this type of sage, open abundantly on a small bush adorned with small dark green leaves that are pleasantly aromatic. Moderately hardy and drought-tolerant, it is an excellent plant for decorating terraces or sunny borders.

Salvia greggii Mirage Violet is part of a series of recent shrubby salvias, the "Mirages," selected in the USA for their compact and uniform habit as well as their increased floriferousness. This collection offers a beautiful range of pastel or vibrant colours that can be easily combined with each other or with other blooms, in pots or in the ground. The wild ancestor of the Mirage Salvias, called Texas Sage, belonging to the family Lamiaceae or Labiatae, is an aromatic plant native to the mountains of eastern, western, and southern Mexico, as well as southern Arizona.

The Mirage Violet Sage is a branching shrubby perennial plant that has a bushy and erect habit, almost as wide as it is tall. It will reach about 40-45 cm (16-18in) in all directions, depending on the growing conditions. The nectar-rich flowering is particularly long and generous, from May until autumn if summer drought or cold weather does not put an end to it. The very dark, elongated flower spikes emerge from the foliage. Each flower hardly measures more than 2 cm (1in) in length. The two-lipped corolla, enclosed in an almost black calyx, sports a beautiful violet hue. The flowers live for barely a day, covering the ground with their petals in the evening, but will already be replaced the next morning. The evergreen foliage is composed of small elongated leaves, 2-3 cm (1in) long, dark green, thick, and aromatic, slightly sticky, releasing with heat a strong fresh and tangy-smelling essential oil. In case of intense drought, the plant may partially lose its leaves, without affecting its health. New buds will develop as soon as the rains return. The plant can withstand short frosts of around -10 to -12°C in well-drained soil.

This Mirage Violet shrubby sage can be used in pots and in flower and shrub beds. It accompanies the spring blooms of tulips and peonies, and then those of roses, campanulas, and other summer perennials. But its association with autumn asters is fabulous: choose those that require little attention, such as Aster ericoides, Aster turbinellus, or Aster amellus, for example. In a rockery or in a dry garden, combine it with rosemary, Perovskia, Caryopteris, Gauras, and tall Sedums (Sedum Matrona), for example.

In Mexico, a delicious tea is prepared with the leaves of Salvia greggii, which is called 'mountain myrtle' there.