Salvia jamensis Belle de Loire

Salvia x jamensis 'Belle de Loire' is a new bushy sage that stands out for the unprecedented colour of its flowers. At the beginning of flowering, the corollas are yellow with orange flames, and then creamy with salmon flames towards the end of the season. The floral spikes are quite long and a little loose, fragrant and nectar-rich. Like other salvias in this category, the plant forms a beautiful bush and has very aromatic foliage, more or less evergreen in winter. Resistant to drought but moderately hardy, this variety can thrive in any well-drained soil and is wonderfully suited to container gardening.

The Belle de Loire Sage is a French horticultural creation, recently developed by Maison Barrault. It belongs to a group of cultivars derived from Salvia x jamensis, a natural hybrid of Salvia greggii and S. microphylla that is commonly found in the mountains of Mexico. Like all salvias, 'Belle de Loire' belongs to the large family of lamiaceae or labiates. This woody and branched perennial has a bushy and branching habit, as wide as it is tall. It will reach about 60 cm (24in) in all directions, or even more in fertile soil. The nectar-rich flowering is particularly generous, starting in May-June and lasting until November unless frost cuts it short. In very dry summers, the flowering slows down in July-August. The elongated flowers emerge from the foliage, grouped in spikes measuring 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12in). They are 2-3 cm (1in) long and their bicolor hue changes with the season. The colour palette includes light yellow, vibrant orange, cream, and salmon pink. The corollas only last for a day, covering the ground with their petals in the evening, but they will already be replaced the next morning. The partially evergreen foliage, consists of small, ovate, medium green leaves that are thick and aromatic, slightly sticky, releasing a highly acidic essential oil when hot. They measure 1 to 2 cm (1in) in length. This variety is hardy down to about -10°C (14°F) (in extreme cases), in well-drained soil.

The lower angle of the autumn light enhances the flowering of shrubby salvias, which capture the light through their petals like tiny stained glass windows. These plants are part of those that have contributed to the fame of the genus Salvia: minimal maintenance and low requirements with almost uninterrupted flowering from spring until the first frost. They can be found in English cottages and Mediterranean gardens. This 'Belle de Loire' sage will accompany the spring blooms of old violet irises, rosemary, and Caryopteris, for example. But its association with grasses or autumn asters is fabulous: choose those that require little attention, like Aster laevis, Aster turbinellus, or Aster amellus. Gauras, tall sedums (Sedum 'Matrona'), shrubby potentillas, and the silver foliage of artemisias or cinerarias will create a charming tableau. On the terrace, plant it in a large pot, covering its base with Cerastostigma plumbaginoides, right next to a Cape Plumbago; the colour combination in October is fantastic!

In Mexico, a delicious tea is made from the leaves of this jamensis sage, which is called 'mountain myrtle' there.