Salvia microphylla Delice Gold and Wine

Salvia microphylla 'Delice Gold and Wine' is a brand new shrubby sage with bicolour flowers, white and bright pink, from May to autumn. Its floribundity and semi-evergreen aromatic foliage make it a precious ally for sunny and warm terraces and gardens. Robust but moderately hardy, it will need protection in cold regions.

The 'Delice Gold and Wine' sage belongs to the large family of Lamiaceae, which offers the gardener numerous aromatic and ornamental plants (thyme, rosemary, catmint, agastache...). This variety comes from a group of salvias native to the mountains of Central America, which gives them a hardiness of about -10°C (14°F). These salvias are woody: their stems harden and form wood, which will be damaged by severe frost, especially in cold climates. The foliage is semi-evergreen in mild climates, small and ovate, and deliciously aromatic, with hints of mint and lemon. This scent is particularly pronounced in hot and dry weather, and the essential oils often make the leaves slightly sticky.
Between May and October (or later if the weather is mild), the 'Delice Gold and Wine' sage produces numerous small flowers with a bright pink hood, fading to a very pale pink, almost white, on the lip. It will reach about 70 cm (28in) tall and 80 cm (32in) wide.

The origins of the shrubby sage 'Delice Gold and Wine' make it a plant well suited to sunny, dry, chalky and rocky soils (even limestone), but moderately hardy: it will grow without problems in mild and warm climates, but will require winter protection if the temperatures in your region frequently drop below -10°C (14°F) - in which case grow in a pot to be brought indoors as soon as frost is possible. If you want to plant it outdoors in a cold region, remember to offer it a well-protected location sheltered from cold winds. You can also mulch its base, but be careful not to choose a material that retains too much moisture: use a mineral mulch like gravel, as excessive winter moisture would be fatal to it. If the summer is very dry, the 'Delice Gold and Wine' sage may receive occasional watering to support its flowering, always taking care not to excessively wet its base. You can prune it back in late winter to make the plant denser but not until the last frosts have passed.

Perfect in rock gardens, dry borders, and containers, this sage will form beautiful combinations with other shrubby salvias like 'Pink Lips' or 'Amethyst Lips', two very pretty bicolour varieties... You can also plant a dry ground cover at its base, such as Corsican Spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites), Alpine Calamint (Acinos alpinus) or even 'Micro-chips' Delta Dianthus, whose flowers come in the same shades, for camellia-like freshness.