Salvia nemorosa April Night - Woodland Sage

Salvia nemorosa 'Sallyrosa April Night' is a variety of sage that blooms one month earlier than others, usually in May, with bright blue-violet spikes of small flowers that continue to bloom until the middle of summer if you regularly remove faded flowers. Very floriferous, it also has a compact and branched habit and robust health. All these qualities make it an excellent candidate for ornamental patios and balconies, but also perfect for low-maintenance flower beds. Easy to grow, it is also one of the hardiest sages, and as such a fantastic garden perennial that will not disappoint.

Salvia nemorosa is a perennial of the family Lamiaceae. It is a species native to central Europe and western Asia. 'April Night' is one of its many cultivars, recently obtained in Israel. Its adult size will not exceed 35 cm in height and 35-40 cm (14-16in) in width. This perennial develops from a prostrate rosette of oval, rough, dark green leaves with toothed edges, aromatic when crushed. It has a bushy, highly branched and sturdy habit. Flowering begins in spring and continues until July-August, depending on the climate, in the form of long terminal clusters composed of numerous small flowers, 0.5 to 1 cm (1in) of intense blue-violet colour, with purple bracts. The beautiful compact spikes with nectar-rich flowers succeed each other throughout the summer and delight butterflies. The base of the stems is often reddish.

This sage has the advantage of blooming earlier than others, allowing for staggered flowering when combined with other varieties. It withstands everything, even wind, cold, heat, and poor soils. It will be superb in the company of pink flowering plants like the late flowering tulip 'Angélique', white flowers like Chamaemelum nobile 'Plenum', a red rose for a strong contrast, or with the grey foliage of Artemisias in dry soil, or purple foliage like that of Physocarpus opulifolius Lady in Red in moister soil. It also pairs well with light pink flowering plants like Verbena 'Rosea', which will dominate it in height, the shrubby mallow 'Barnsley' or the Penstemon 'Evelyn'.  It is also perfect for adding to flower beds and borders with Perovskia, Lychnis coronaria Oculata, or Coronillas.  

With over 900 species of annuals, perennials, and softwood shrubs spread all over the globe, except for very cold regions and tropical forests, the Salvia genus is the largest in the Lamiaceae family. The name Salvia, which dates back to Roman times, derives from the Latin salvus meaning 'healthy' alluding to the medicinal virtues of sage.