In 2020, as part of the annual trials at the University of Tennessee Gardens in Jackson, we grew ‘White Flame’ salvia, which was sent to us as a sample plant. It was an excellent performer and received our “Best of Show” award at the end of the season. As with other “annual” salvias, we expected it to die off over the winter. But to my great surprise, it returned the next year—as it has every year since, despite our temperatures dipping below zero on occasion. 

If you like salvias in general, you’re going to love ‘White Flame’. The plants are bushy and compact, with pure white 4- to 6-inch flower spikes appearing in abundance from the time of planting until a killing freeze. The tubular white blooms that emerge from mealy white, dense calyxes are bee magnets, and they are also enjoyed by hummingbirds and butterflies. Unlike many of the newer vegetatively produced “annual” salvias, this selection does not cycle in and out of bloom over the course of the summer in the South. ‘White Flame’ salvia loves the heat and doesn’t ever slow down. Another bonus is that the fading pale flowers don’t turn a dingy color or distract from the beauty of the plant, as is common with some white-flowering plants. 

‘White Flame’ is a hybrid of long-spiked sage (S. longispicata) and mealycup sage (S. farinacea), but it looks mostly like a mealycup sage on steroids. For a real show-stopper, pair ‘White Flame’ with other hybrid salvias such as ‘Mystic Spires’ and ‘Blue Chill’. It also combines beautifully with most sun-loving perennials and can be used in large mixed containers, where its long flower spikes act as the “thriller.” ‘White Flame’ would be a great addition to a cut-flower garden too, since it produces an abundance of pure white flowers from spring through fall. Although it is only reliably winter hardy to Zone 7, I have friends in Zone 6 who have had ‘White Flame’ return in their garden where it was planted in good-draining soil and in a protected spot. Even if you live in an area where it does not survive the winter, it is worth growing as an annual. If the plants start to look unkempt during the long growing season, give them a light shearing and an application of fertilizer to renew the growth and flower production. As with most salvias, ‘White Flame’ is drought tolerant once established, and deer almost always avoid it.

‘White Flame’ salvia Salvia ‘White Flame’ Zones: 7–11  Conditions: Full sun; moist, well-drained soil  Native range: Hybrid

| SOURCES |

Almost Eden, Merryville, LA; 337-375-2114; almostedenplants.com

Wilson Bros Gardens, McDonough, GA; 770-573-1778; wilsonbrosgardens.com 

Jason Reeves has been putting plants to the test at the University of Tennessee in Jackson since 2002 and can be followed on Facebook at “Jason Reeves – in the garden.”