Salvia So Cool Pale Blue

Salvia 'So Cool Pale Blue' is a variety of shrubby sage that forms a small rounded and dense bush covered with very bright mauve-blue flowers, quite rare in this type of sage. This plant blooms continuously throughout summer if the soil does not dry out too much, delighting bees and gardeners. Its small light green aromatic leaves are more or less evergreen in winter. It is an excellent border plant that also grows very easily in a pot. Moderately hardy, it will need protection in cold regions.

Salvia 'So Cool Pale Blue' belongs to the large family of Lamiaceae, which offers gardeners many aromatic and ornamental plants (thyme, rosemary, catmint, agastache...). This variety comes from a group of salvias native to the mountains of Central America, which gives them a respectable hardiness of about -10°C (14°F). These salvias are woody: their stems harden and form wood, which will, however, be damaged by pronounced and prolonged frost. The foliage is semi-evergreen in mild climate, small and ovate, and deliciously aromatic, with hints of mint and lemon. This fragrance is particularly pronounced in hot and dry weather, and the essential oils often make the leaves a bit sticky.
Between May and October (or even longer if the weather is mild), the 'So Cool Pale Blue' sage produces numerous small two-tone flowers in a charming bluish-purple. The violet calyx enhances the flower colour. It will reach approximately 70 cm (28in) in all directions.

The origins of the 'So Cool Pale Blue' shrubby sage give it good adaptability to sunny, dry, and even limestone and rocky soils: it will grow without problems in a mild and sunny climate, but it is best grown in a pot in regions with a rainy and cold winter, allowing it to be brought inside as soon as frost is forecast. If you want to plant it outside in a cold region, remember to provide it with a well-protected location, sheltered from cold winds. Perfect in rock gardens, borders and pots, this sage will form beautiful associations with other similar plants such as Mirage Salmon or Mirage Violet, as well as with perennials like common marjoram, Tiny Jackpot eryngo, or grasses like beautiful feather grass and Bouteloua gracilis.