Salvia splendens Estella Purple seeds - Scarlet Sage

Salvia splendens Estella Purple is an annual sage when grown in our climates, also known as bright sage or splendid sage. This variety, awarded an Approved Novelty by Fleuroselect in 2023, stands out for its large size on a well-branched plant and its earliness. It offers long flowering in dense spikes adorned with beautiful dark violet-purple flowers on a backdrop of dark green leaves. Standing at 60 cm, it fits well in perennial beds as well as adorning large pots. Plant in full sun, in fresh, light, and well-drained soil.

Salvia splendens is a herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae family, originating from the hot and humid regions of Brazil, between 2000 and 3000 m altitude. Sometimes reaching 1.30 m in its home country, it forms an upright clump of stems 30 cm tall and 25 cm wide in one season in our climates. The Estella Purple variety stands out for its greater height than usual cultivars, as it reaches 60 cm in height, by 50 cm wide in one season. Its four-angled stems are branching and erect. Its leaves cling to them along their entire length and are ovate to lanceolate, toothed and dark green. The flower spikes stand above the foliage, from July to October. The tubular flowers are a beautiful dark violet, well highlighted by the foliage.

The bright sage Estella Purple is ideal for border or mass planting in the garden for a quick flowering, scattered in small groups among other plants with complementary colours. It blooms abundantly, even when summer perennials are resting. Pair it with grey-leaved plants like wormwoods or flowering plants like blue delphiniums, ground cover roses, daylilies for example, all capable of complementing its intensity. It also performs very well in pots, to adorn terraces, balconies, and containers.