Salvia nemorosa Serenade - Woodland Sage

The Salvia nemorosa 'Serenade' is a new variety of wood sage that stands out for its long summer flowering and its very dark and luminous appearance. This variety forms tall purple stems carrying small intense blue-violet flowers, translucent in full light, grouped in long spikes. They dominate a tuft of very dark green foliage pleasantly aromatic. Not too tall, hardy, remarkable for its colour in massifs as well as in flower pots, this robust perennial is easy to grow and will not disappoint.

Salvia nemorosa is a perennial of the family Lamiaceae or Labiatae. It is a species native to central Europe and western Asia. 'Serenade' is one of its many cultivars, recently introduced to the market. Its adult size will not exceed 70 cm in height when flowering, 45 cm (18in) for the foliage, and 50 cm (0 and 20in) in width. This perennial develops from a prostrate rosette of oval, rough, very dark green leaves with toothed edges, aromatic when crushed. It has a bushy, highly branched, and sturdy habit. Flowering begins in June and continues until August-September, depending on the climate. Flowers take the form of particularly long terminal clusters that are dark purple in colour and bear numerous small flowers (0.5 to 1 cm (0in)) of intense blue-violet, with purple bracts. The beautiful nectar-rich spikes succeed each other throughout the summer and delight butterflies. The base of the stems is often reddish.

Salvia nemorosa 'Serenade' is an excellent candidate for ornamenting terraces and balconies, and also a privileged host for low-maintenance flower beds. Easy to grow, this is one of the hardiest salvias, and as such, a wonderful garden perennial that will not disappoint. It can withstand anything, even wind, cold, heat, and poor soils. It will be superb in the company of pink flowering plants, such as the rose 'The Fairy', a red rose for a strong contrast (Knockout), or with grey foliage of artemisias in dry soil, or purple foliage such as that of Physocarpus opulifolius Lady in Red in cooler soil. It also pairs well with pink and delicate flowering plants, such as the hastate verbena 'Rosea', which will dominate it in height, the shrubby lavatera 'Barnsley', or the Penstemon 'Evelyn'. This plant is also perfect for composing flower beds and borders with Perovskia, Lychnis coronaria Oculata, or coronillas.

With over 900 species of annuals, perennials, and softwood shrubs, spread all over the world, except in very cold regions and tropical forests, the Salvia genus is the richest in the Lamiaceae family. The name Salvia, which dates back to Roman times, derives from the Latin salvus 'healthy' by allusion to the medicinal virtues of common sage.