Salvia nemorosa Midnight Rose - Woodland Sage

The Salvia nemorosa 'Midnight Rose', related to the wood sage, is a perennial essential for enthusiasts of easy and colourful flowers. Its compact habit and spikes of intense pink flowers work wonders in sunny borders, flower beds, or even in containers. Very hardy and undemanding, this plant is disease-resistant and attracts pollinators. Its refined appearance and generous flowering from June to September are universally appreciated.

Belonging to the Lamiaceae family, Salvia nemorosa originates from meadows and clearings in Europe and Asia. 'Midnight Rose', a cultivar selected by Dümmen Orange in 2020, stands out with its upright bright pink floral spikes, contrasting with purple calyces and purplish-violet stems. This compact sage reaches approximately 35 to 40 cm in height with a width of 25 cm. It exhibits continuous flowering if faded flowers are regularly cut. Very hardy, up to -20°C, this perennial tolerates drought quite well once established. Its airy vegetation develops in spring, from a rosette of ovate, rough, very dark green leaves, with toothed, aromatic edges when crushed.

'Midnight Rose' is an ideal perennial sage for borders, flower beds, and containers. It fits perfectly in a cottage garden style. To create beautiful combinations, pair it with Nepeta 'Kit Cat' for a blue and pink contrast, Achillea 'Desert Eve Deep Rose' for a harmonious palette of pinks, Stachys monieri 'Hummelo' for its textured foliage, and Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Little Spire' to add lightness and silver foliage that will enhance the pink flower spikes of the sage.

With over 900 species of annuals, perennials, and softwood shrubs distributed worldwide, except in very cold regions and tropical forests, the Salvia genus is the richest in the Lamiaceae family. The name Salvia, dating back to Roman times, derives from the Latin salvus "healthy" alluding to the medicinal virtues of common sage.