Salvia jamensis Flammenn

Salvia jamensis Flammenn® is a variety of shrubby sage that is interesting for its intensely red, early and remarkably long flowering. Its nectar-rich flowers gather in fairly long and well-supplied clusters, on small, semi-evergreen foliage that is dark green and very aromatic. The plant only requires well-drained (even quite dry and limestone) soil, in a sunny or semi-shaded exposure. It adapts perfectly to pot cultivation.

The Flammenn® shrubby sage is a horticultural selection derived from Salvia x jamensis, a natural hybrid of Salvia greggii and S. microphylla that is frequently found in the mountains of Mexico. Like all sages, the Flammenn® variety belongs to the large family of lamiaceae or labiates. This shrubby perennial has a bushy, branched and upright habit, taller than it is wide. It will reach about 80 cm (31.5 in) in height and 60 cm (23.6 in) in spread. Its flowers, nectar-rich and honeyed, are particularly generous between the beginning of summer and November. They are carried by slender and erect reddish-brown stems. The elongated flowers measure barely more than 2 to 3 cm (0.8 to 1.2 in) in length, but they are adorned with an intense red hue, enhanced by small brown bracts at the base. They only live for a day, covering the ground with their petals in the evening, but will already be replaced the next morning. The foliage, more or less evergreen depending on the severity of winter, is composed of small, dark green, thick and aromatic oval leaves that are a little sticky, releasing with heat a strongly acid-scented essential oil. They measure 1 to 2 cm (0.4 to 0.8 in) in length. This variety is hardy down to -10 °C (14 °F) in well-drained soil.

The lower light of autumn enhances the flowering of shrubby sages, which capture the light through their petals like tiny stained glass windows. These plants are part of those that have contributed to the notoriety of the Salvia genus: minimal maintenance, but almost uninterrupted flowering from spring until the first frosts. They can be found in English cottages as well as Mediterranean gardens. This 'Flammenn®' sage will pair well with the spring blooms of old violet irises, blue rosemarys, and rock bellflowers. But combining it with tall grasses or autumn asters is a fabulous choice: choose those that are content with little, such as Aster laevis, Aster turbinellus, or Aster amellus, for example. Gauras, tall sedums (Sedum 'Matrona'), shrubby potentillas, and the silvery foliage of mugworts or cinerarias will compose a charming tableau with it. On the terrace, place 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 prepared with the leaves of this sage, which is called 'mountain myrtle' there.