Salvia greggii Mirage® Hotpink

Salvia greggii Mirage® Hot Pink is a compact and generous shrubby sage, covered in bright pink flowers from spring until the first frosts. This small undershrub with aromatic foliage adds a splash of vibrant colour to borders and large containers. Easy to grow in well-drained soil, this variety is suitable for dry gardens and for decorating terraces, in climates that are not too cold.

Gregg's sage belongs to the Lamiaceae family, that of sages and mints. The cultivar Mirage® Hot Pink, registered under the name 'Balmirhopi', obtained by the Darwin Perennials programme in the 2010s, is part of a series selected for its compact habit, prolonged flowering and good heat tolerance. The Mirage® series is distinctly different from the typical species, which is often taller and irregular; here, the plants are more squat, well-branched, with more uniform flowering and very dark calyces that accentuate the flower colour. 
Mirage® Hot Pink is listed in the "Plants for Pollinators" list by the Royal Horticultural Society, and this variety has received the Award of Garden Merit. It has a bushy, rounded, very dense habit. In the ground, the plant reaches 30 to 40 cm in height and 35 to 40 cm in width; in a pot, it remains slightly shorter. Growth is rapid: in two or three seasons, a young plant will already form a well-filled cushion. The stems are tinged with purple and bear semi-evergreen foliage consisting of small ovate to lanceolate leaves, about 1 to 2 cm long, of a medium to dark green. When crushed between the fingers, they release a spicy and herbaceous fragrance characteristic of sages. From May to October, the Mirage® Hot Pink variety produces slender stems bearing flowers grouped in loose spikes. Each flower, set in a purple calyx, about 2 cm long, has a tubular corolla ending in two very bright fuchsia pink lips. The flowers are frequently visited by bees and butterflies. This variety is hardy down to -10°C in well-drained soil.

With its rounded habit and endless flowering, the Mirage® Hot Pink sage naturally finds a place at the front of a border, along a path or on a terrace. It is well-suited to dry, Mediterranean and coastal gardens. To grow in a pot, choose a deep container with a very free-draining mix and protect from severe frosts. To create a bright display, combine with the shrubby sages Mirage Violet and 'Icing Sugar', the umbels of Achillea millefolium 'Lilac Beauty' and the yellow daisies of Senecio greyi 'Sunshine'. Together, these perennials create a long-lasting display, requiring little maintenance and watering.