Salvia leucantha

The Salvia leucantha, also known as Mexican bush sage or white-flowered sage, is a beautiful perennial or evergreen sub-shrub in milder climates, remarkably floriferous at a time when flowers are rare in the garden. From autumn to spring, it has arching spikes bearing countless small white flowers engulfed in velvety purple-violet calyxes. This aromatic and medicinal plant is attractive for its simplicity, its abundance of flowers, its grey-green foliage, which remains beautiful all year round, and its adaptability. It is half-hardy in damp, cold climates, but proves robust and resilient in milder climes. All it needs to thrive is light, not too dry, well-drained soil in a sunny or semi-shady spot.

The Salvia leucantha, like all salvias, belongs to the family Lamiaceae or Labiatae. It is native to subtropical and tropical coniferous forests located in central and eastern Mexico, which explains its lack of hardiness. The plant forms a beautiful tuft composed of semi-woody and hairy stems carrying large lanceolate leaves, soft green to grey on the upper side, covered with a silvery felt on the underside. It reaches a height of 80 cm (31.5 in) to 1 m (3.3 ft), with a diameter of approximately 80 cm (31.5 in). The nectar and pollen-rich flowering season is particularly long-lasting; it starts in November or December and lasts until March, in open ground in mild climates or in a cold greenhouse in cold climates. The stems are square in cross-section and bear white flowers surrounded at the base by a velvety, purple-blue, amethyst-purple or purplish-lavender calyx. The inconspicuous flowers are composed of two lips, white to pinkish in colour. The evergreen foliage is made up of thick, long, narrow leaves with toothed edges. The plant's tissues contain an essential oil with interesting properties that has recently been studied. Hardy above -5°C (23°F) in a protected location and in dry soil during winter.

In the wild, Mexican bush sage grows in rather moist, but well-drained soils, in a subtropical to tropical climate. This generous and unusual plant is perfect for the middle of a border, possibly in combination with the grey foliage of shrubby wormwoods. Placed in front of a small winged spindle tree (Eunymus alatus compactus), a smoke tree (Cotinus), or a plum-leaved spirea, its violet flowers will seem to spring out from their flamboyant autumn foliage. In regions with mild winters, it can form beautiful, low, free-flowering hedges. Use with gauras, tall sedums (Sedum 'Matrona'), shrubby potentillas and beautiful autumn foliage (Euonymus alatus 'Compactus', Nandina domestica 'Firepower') to create an elegant scene. On the terrace, plant it in a large pot so that you can shelter it from heavy frosts during winter.

With over 900 species of annuals, perennials, and soft-woody shrubs distributed throughout the globe, except in very cold regions and the rainforest, the genus Salvia is the largest in the Lamiaceae family. The name Salvia, which dates back to Roman times, comes from the Latin salvus "healthy" alluding to the medicinal virtues of common sage.