Salvia lyrata ‘Purple Knockout’ Sage The wide bronze-red leaves of ‘Purple Knockout’ are tinged with green toward the center, are purple on the underside, and remain neat and tight to the soil surface. You will not likely have seen a Salvia quite like this eastern U.S. native. The stiff flower stems shoot up from the base to 3' with small blue-bronze flower bracts swirling up the stem. The blooms appear in June–July, turn bronzy-red, and keep their form well through the summer, performing much like Lavender blooms do. Plant 18 inches apart Zone 5–9 full sun Salvia nemorosa ‘Blue Hill’ Sage This superb perennial is another which attracts more interest in the nursery every year primarily due to its long bloom time (June–July, and again in fall) and its lovely sky blue flowers. It has rough green foliage with numerous spikes of sky blue blooms rising a moderate 15" from the compact plant. Spent flowers should be cut back for a repeat performance in fall. Spectacular in a mass and with lighter-colored perennials such as Coreopsis, Daylilies (try ‘Stella De Oro’), Black Eyed Susan or Sedums. Plant 18 inches apart Zone 4–8 full sun Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ Sage The glowing purple-black stems are unique on ‘Carradonna’. Flower spikes to 24" are the same rich violet-purple of ‘East Friesland’, blooming often from May-July. Give this Salvia the well-drained sun-loving conditions it loves, and it will bloom its heart out for you. Plant 18 inches apart Zone 4–9 full sun Salvia nemorosa ‘East Friesland’ Sage Violet-purple flowers on numerous spikes start blooming in June and July to a height of 18". If deadheaded regularly it will provide flowers again in September. Try it with a pink or white Dianthus and our Artemisia Silvermound for a cool, serene look in those dog days. Plant 18 inches apart Zone 4–8 full sun Salvia nemorosa ‘Lubeca’ Sage Purple flowers rise on many spikelets to 24" above the rough green compact leaves. ‘Lubeca’ blooms about three weeks longer than ‘East Friesland’, that is, from June until fall, if spent flower spikes are cut back. Plant 18 inches apart Zone 4–8 full sun Salvia nemorosa ‘Marcus’ Sage This unique compact new Salvia is a lavender-purple – darker than ‘Blue Hill’, lighter than ‘May Night’ – at 12" in height. A sport of ‘May Night’, its dwarf size and heavy bloom habit in June-July promises good success for plantings requiring drought-tolerance, plenty of sun, good drainage, not a lot of attention, and deer-resistance. Plan on a period of re-blooming if spent flower stems are cut back. Plant 18 inches apart Zone 3–9 full sun Salvia nemorosa ‘May Night’ Sage The most intense deep indigo-purple spikes imaginable rise to 18" above the rough green leaves during June and July. Whack it back after blooming and you will be rewarded with more of that rich purple color in early fall. This 1997 Perennial of the Year thrives in fertile, well-drained soil, and the color will knock your socks off in the border, rock garden, as edging, or massed in naturalized areas. Plant 18 inches apart Zone 4–8 full sun Salvia nemorosa ‘Rose Wine’ Sage A pink version of Salvia ‘May Night’ is superb with thick spikes of soft rosy-pink flowers on dark purple stems. In June and July, ‘Rose Wine’ blooms despite summer heat and drought to 18". Try it with Salvia ‘May Night’, Penstemon ‘Husker Red’, and Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’. Plant 18 inches apart Zone 4–8 full sun Salvia nemorosa ‘Snow Hill’ Sage No doubt ‘Snow Hill’ will rival ‘Blue Hill’ for usefulness and popularity among long-blooming hardy Salvias. Our initial crops of this white, densely-spiked perennial were virtually identical to ‘Blue Hill’, but moderate in size (15" or so), bloom in June–July, complement a wide range of perennials, and disappear quickly from the nursery. But not to worry, we’ll save some for you. Plant 18 inches apart Zone 4–8 full sun Salvia verticillata ‘Purple Rain’ Sage Hardy, yet tropical-looking, this Salvia sends up fuzzy purple spikelets in June and July, to a height of 18–24". Like all Salvias, it is heat and drought tolerant, and dislikes an excess of moisture in the summer, as well as too-damp a spot in the winter. Plant 18 inches apart Zone 4–8 full sun
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