Salvia jamensis Carolus

The Salvia 'Carolus' is a brand new shrubby sage with pale mauve flowers and a slightly darker heart, from June to autumn. Its floribundity and its semi-evergreen aromatic foliage make it a precious ally for sunny and warm terraces and gardens. Robust but moderately hardy, it will need protection in cold regions.

The 'Carolus' sage belongs to the large Lamiaceae family, which offers gardeners many aromatic and ornamental plants (thyme, rosemary, catmint, agastache, etc.). This variety comes from a group of salvias native to the mountains of Central America, which gives them an honorable hardiness of about -10°C (14°F). These salvias are woody: their stems harden and form wood, which will however be damaged by strong frost, especially in cold climates. The foliage, semi-evergreen in mild climates, is small and ovate, and delightfully 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 slightly sticky.
Between June and October (or even later if the weather is mild), 'Carolus' sage produces many small flowers of delicate lilac mauve, with a slightly deeper heart. It will reach about 70 cm (28in) in height and 80 cm (32in) in width.

The origins of 'Carolus' shrubby sage make it well adapted to sunny, dry, and rocky (even limestone) soils, but moderately hardy: it will grow without problems in mild and warm climates, but will require winter protection if the temperatures in your region frequently drop below -10°C (14°F) - in that case, prefer container cultivation, to be brought indoors as soon as frost is announced. If you want to plant it outside in a cold region, make sure to provide it with a well-protected location sheltered from cold winds. You can also mulch its base, but be careful not to choose a material that retains too much moisture: prefer a mineral mulch such as gravel, as excess winter water would be fatal to it. If the summer is very dry, 'Aphrodite' sage can possibly receive watering to support its flowering, always taking care not to excessively wet its base. You can prune it short at the end of winter to densify the plant, but do not do so before the last frosts have passed.

Perfect in rock gardens, dry beds, and pots, this sage will form beautiful combinations with other salvias such as Salvia microphylla 'Amethyst Lips' or Salvia nemorosa 'Schwellenburg'... It can also be combined with dry-loving perennials such as White Cloud calamint, Corsican Spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites), or the Lillipop Pink Gaura.