Salvia nemorosa Marcus 'Haeumanarc'

The Salvia nemorosa 'Marcus' is a small perennial variety of sage that offers a generous violet-blue flowering. This particularly compact selection is perfectly suited for borders, rockeries, and flower pots. The wood sage is a robust, generous, and countryside plant that promotes biodiversity. It blooms for several weeks between late spring and summer if the faded flowers are regularly pruned. It is easy to cultivate and to combine in the garden as well as in flower pots.

The Salvia nemorosa 'Marcus' ('HAEUMANARC') is a recent German horticultural creation that stands out for its very small size. It is a hardy perennial plant from the Lamiaceae or Labiatae family. Its wild ancestor, wood sage, is a species native to central Europe and western Asia. The Marcus cultivar forms a small, dense, and branched clump, with an adult size not exceeding 30 cm in height and 35 cm (14in) in width. This plant develops from a prostrate rosette composed of ovate, rich, dark green leaves with toothed edges, aromatic when crushed. It displays a bushy, highly branched, and dense habit in summer. Flowering begins in May-June and continues until August-September if the soil does not dry out too much and faded flowers are regularly pruned. It takes the form of terminal clusters bearing numerous violet-blue flowers (0.5 to 1 cm (0in)) with purple bracts. The beautiful flower spikes, rich in nectar, delight bees and butterflies. In winter, the plant often persists as green rosettes close to the ground, with the leafy stems drying out due to cold temperatures. Its very cold-resistant stump does not fear harsh winters if the soil is properly drained.

Plant 'Marcus' sage as a border plant in association with carnations, coreopsis, or catmints, for example. It is a perfect candidate for ornamenting terraces and balconies, but also a preferred host for low-maintenance flower beds. Easy to grow, this plant is also one of the hardiest salvias, and as such, a wonderful perennial for the garden that does not disappoint. It withstands everything, even wind, cold, heat, poor and limestone soils. This variety is particularly suitable for a romantic garden and pairs well with pink, white, or salmon roses. Consider, for example, the rose 'The Fairy', or a red rose for a strong contrast (Rouge Cascade), mixed with perennial geraniums. Create a beautiful scene with shrubby mallow lavaters, penstemons, peonies.

With over 900 species of annuals, perennials, and softwood shrubs distributed throughout the world, except for in very cold regions and the tropical forest, the Salvia genus is the richest 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 common sage.