Cooks and gardeners alike are indebted to this evergreen perennial for the unique, pungent flavor and aroma that its gray-green leaves produce. This cultivar has leaves suffused with steely gray purple. It forms a 1½-foot-tall-and-wide bush with woody stems that may be trimmed back to newly emerging growth or strong stems in spring. In early to midsummer, it sends up lavender-purple flower spikes; it has both ornamental and culinary qualities in an herb garden. It tolerates alkaline soil but cannot survive wet winter conditions.

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Noteworthy CharacteristicsEdible purple leaves

CareProvide moist but well-drained soil in full sun. Tolerates alkaline soil.

PropagationDivide in spring. Take cuttings spring through fall.

ProblemsNothing serious, but root rot may occur in wet soils.

• Genus : Salvia
• Plant Height : 1 to 3 feet
• Plant Width : 1 to 3 feet
• Zones : 5, 6, 7, 8
• Characteristics : Attracts Pollinators, Deer Resistant, Fragrant Foliage, Showy Foliage
• Uses : Color, Containers, Dry areas, Foliage, Ground Covers, Small Spaces, Sun
• Tolerance : Deer Tolerant, Drought Tolerant, Frost Tolerant
• Moisture : Dry to Medium
• Bloom Time : Early Summer, Summer
• Light : Full Shade
• Maintenance : Low
• Growth Rate : Moderate
• Plant Type : Perennials
• Foliage Color : Purple/Burgundy
• Plant Seasonal Interest : Spring Interest, Summer Interest