Salvia jamensis Pluenn

Salvia x jamensis Pluenn is a delightful variety of shrubby sage selected for its regular, compact, and well-branched habit that highlights an abundant flowering of a very bright salmon pink. From summer until the first frost its flowers gather in dense clusters on dark stems, with small evergreen leaves, dark green and highly aromatic. This excellent hybrid only requires very well-drained even mediocre limestone soil, in sunny or partially shady exposure to thrive. This variety adapts wonderfully to container gardening.

Salvia x jamensis is a natural hybrid of Salvia greggii and Salvia microphylla, frequently found in the mountains of Mexico. 'Pluenn' is a recent cultivar obtained in France by Cathy Pluenn. Like all salvias, it belongs to the large family of lamiaceae or labiates. This shrubby perennial has a very bushy, well-branched, rounded habit, almost as wide as it is tall. It will reach 60 cm (24in) in all directions, or even more in fertile soil. The nectar-rich flowering is particularly generous, starting in early summer, slowing down if July is dry, and then lasting until November if cold does not put an end to it. The elongated flowers emerge from the foliage, clustered in spikes on dark purple-brown stems. They measure no more than 2-3 cm (1in) in length and are adorned with a vivid salmon-pink hue, enhanced by small brown bracts at the base. They barely last a day, covering the ground with their petals in the evening, but will already be replaced the next morning. The foliage is often evergreen and composed of small ovate, dark green, thick, and aromatic leaves, slightly sticky, releasing a strongly acidic-scented essential oil with heat. They measure from 1 to 2 cm (1in) in length. This variety is hardy down to -10°C (14°F) in well-drained soil.

The lower autumn light enhances the flowering of shrubby salvias, which capture the light through their petals like tiny stained glass windows. These plants are part of those that have contributed to the notoriety of the Salvia genus: minimal maintenance, but almost uninterrupted flowering from spring until the first frost. They are found in English cottage gardens and Mediterranean gardens. This 'Pluenn' sage pairs well with blue or white-flowered varieties. But its association with tall grasses or autumn asters is fabulous: choose those that are easy to grow, such as Aster laevis, Aster turbinellus, or Aster amellus for example. gauras, tall sedums (Sedum 'Matrona'), shrub potentillas, and the silver foliage of artemisias or silver ragworts will compose a charming tableau with it. On the terrace, place it in a large pot, covering its base with bright blue lobelia, right next to a Salvia leucantha ; the colour combination in October is fantastic!

In Mexico, a delicious tea is made with the leaves of this sage, which is called 'mountain myrtle' there.