Salvia nemorosa Amethyst - Woodland Sage

Salvia nemorosa Amethyst is a variety of tall, elegant and refined woodland sage, which charms with its beautiful and generous flowering in long spikes of a delightful pale mauve with a touch of pink. They stand tall all summer above a tuft of aromatic green foliage. Like all Salvia nemorosa, it is perfectly hardy and very easy to grow in ordinary soil, even soil that is poor and relatively dry in summer. This exceptional variety has received the prestigious AGM from the Royal Horticultural Society, a reward reserved for the best!

Salvia nemorosa is a herbaceous perennial plant of the mint family, or labiates. It is a species native to central Europe and western Asia. 'Amethyst' is one of its many cultivars. It reaches an adult size of about 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24 in) in height and 40 cm (16 in) in width. This perennial develops from a prostrate rosette of ovate, rich dark green leaves with toothed edges. It has a bushy habit, rather slender for a woodland sage. Flowering occurs from June to September, in long terminal clusters composed of numerous small flowers (0.5 to 1 cm (1 in)) in pale mauve and pink surrounded by purple-violet bracts. This mix of shades is both bright, rich and soft. The beautiful compact spikes with nectar-rich flowers delight butterflies. The base of the stems is often reddish. 'Amethyst' is a woodland sage variety that is very tolerant of the soil; it thrives even in clay soils.

This Amethyst woodland sage brings lightness and a pretty pastel touch to flower beds and has the advantage of flowering until late summer if faded inflorescences are removed. It will be superb in the company of vivid blue flowering perennial geraniums (Orion, Rozanne), or next to a small pale yellow rose (Suneva, Amber Sun). It also pairs well with pink-flowering plants such as Verbena hastata 'Rosea', shrubby mallow 'Barnsley' or Penstemon 'Evelyn'. It is also perfect for forming flower beds and borders in the company of Perovskia or colourful grasses (Imperata Red Baron, Muhlenbergia capillaris, Stipa pulcherrima, etc.).

With over 900 species of annuals, perennials and softwood shrubs distributed throughout the globe, except for very cold regions and tropical forests, the Salvia genus is the richest in the mint family. The name "Salvia", which dates back to Roman times, derives from the Latin salvus (meaning "healthy") alluding to the medicinal benefits of common sage.