Salvia microphylla Gletsjer

Salvia microphylla Gletsjer or Glacier is a variety of shrubby sage with a very bright presence in borders and pots on the terrace. Vigorous and bushy, it is adorned with pure white flowers during a long period that extends from spring to autumn, with a summer break if the summer is very dry. Its flowers enliven a semi-evergreen foliage composed of small leaves with a unique menthol scent. Fairly hardy, down to about -16°C (3.2°F), it is robust and only requires a very well-drained, even poor soil, in a sunny or semi-shaded position to thrive. Place it near a pathway, where you will brush against its highly aromatic foliage.

Salvia microphylla Gletsjer or Glacier is a beautiful selection derived from a shrubby botanical species called Graham's Sage. It belongs to the family of lamiaceae or labiates. The mountains of eastern, western and southern Mexico, as well as southern Arizona, are the birthplaces of this aromatic plant. Gletsjer or Glacier is a woody perennial plant that is well-branched and has a bushy habit. This variety reaches a height of 70 cm (28in) with a width of 50 cm. The nectar-rich flowering is particularly abundant, especially in autumn from September to November if the cold does not put an end to it. This sage blooms once in spring and a second time in autumn after a break in a hot and dry summer. In regions where the summer is reasonably rainy, the flowering is uninterrupted. The elongated flowers emerge from the foliage, grouped in spikes on green stems. They measure no more than 2 cm (1in) in length and are a very bright pure white that catches the eye in the garden. They only last for a day but are already replaced the next morning. The semi-evergreen foliage is composed of small oval leaves with wavy edges, of a fairly tender green colour, thick and aromatic, slightly sticky, releasing a strongly mentholated and acidulated essential oil in the heat.

This sage brings life to any flower bed for almost 6 months. It accompanies spring blooms of Cistus, Rosemary, and Rock Bellflowers. In summer, it is sublime alongside the silver foliage of Cotton Lavenders, Helichrysum italicum, or shrubby Wormwoods. Its association with 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, and shrubby Potentillas create a charming tableau with it.

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