Salvia nemorosa West Friesland Seeds - Wood Sage

The Salvia nemorosa 'West Friesland', known as Wood Sage or Forest Sage, is an upright and well-branched perennial distinguished by its elegant and slender spikes of inflorescences. These spikes, of an intense and bright blue-violet colour, bloom throughout the summer, adding a touch of vibrant colour to the garden. This compact and bushy perennial is also valued for its lanceolate, slightly grey and semi-evergreen foliage. Very hardy and easy to grow in full sun in well-drained soil, it establishes quickly from the first year, forming a beautiful cover for slightly wild areas of the garden. Besides enhancing the space, it provides a valuable source of nectar for bees, promoting biodiversity.

The Salvia nemorosa is a plant species of the Lamiaceae family. This perennial herbaceous plant is native to Central Europe and Western Asia. 'West Friesland' is one of its many cultivars; its adult size will not exceed 50 cm in all directions. This perennial has a bushy, highly branched, and compact habit. Flowering occurs from June to August, in terminal clusters composed of many small flowers (0.5 to 1 cm) dark blue with reddish-brown bracts. This mix of shades produces a deep and bright blue-violet effect. The beautiful nectar-rich flower spikes succeed each other throughout the summer, delighting butterflies. The leaves, 5 to 10 cm long, are oval or lanceolate, oblong, notched, puckered, greyish-green. The base of the stems is often reddish.

Plant 'West Friesland' sage in ordinary, even poor and rather calcareous, but especially well-drained soil. This plant tolerates some drought. It does not appreciate heavy and waterlogged soils in winter, which can harm its hardiness. Plant it in a sunny or semi-shaded location. It has the advantage of remaining compact, even in soil that is a bit too rich for it. It looks stunning alongside pale yellow-flowered plants like 'Wargrave' Anthemis for a strong contrast, or with grey foliage of wormwoods and pink-flowered plants among bush roses, for example. Also, associate it with other salvias like clary sage and common sages. It also pairs perfectly with catmints, agastaches, and Lychnis coronaria.

With over 900 species of annuals, perennials, and bush with soft wood, distributed all over the globe, except in very cold regions and tropical forests, the Salvia genus is the richest in the Lamiaceae family.