Salvia pratensis Madeline - Meadow Sage

The Salvia pratensis 'Madeline' is a new cultivar derived from meadow sage. This is pretty weed that invites itself into our ditches. It is a magnificent perennial, very bright and extremely floriferous, producing beautiful aerial clusters of small bicoloured blue-violet and white flowers throughout the summer. Hardy and cold resistant, it shows a very dense bushy habit and tall floral stems that can reach 75 cm (30in) in height, emerging from a fairly compact and densely leafy clump. This plant that is very easy to grow, ideal in borders or beds, in full sun or partial shade.

Native to Western Europe to the Caucasus, meadow sage is a perennial species, very hardy, that tolerates sun and drought-prone soils. The recently variety 'Madeline' is obtained from the Netherlands, and stands out with a very dense and erect habit, and bicoloured flowers. Its foliage is semi-evergreen, forming clumps that can cover 1m (3ft) in diameter. It produces multiflorous inflorescences in spring, borne on 75 cm (30in) tall spikes, with well-contrasted flowers, blue-violet surmounting a white lower lip. The flowers bloom from June and continue without interruption until August; they are highly valued by butterflies and bees. The leaves, deciduous, are ovate to oblong, rough, with crenate edges, forming beautiful vegetation.

Meadow sage 'Madeline is vigorous enough to outcompete weeds. Just like its blue ancestor, it excels on slopes, which it helps to stabilize with its deep anchoring roots, allowing it to draw moisture even during heatwaves. In this regard, it will be perfect for maintaining the soil in rockeries or banks near water sources. It is a very resistant plant, tolerating prolonged periods of drought and Spartan growing conditions. It tolerates limestone well, even growing on chalky hillsides, and endures rigorous winters without weakening. In beds, associate it with clary sage, common sage, alongside old roses and Nepeta x faassenii, lychnis coronaria.

With over 900 species of annuals, perennials, and soft-wooded shrubs, distributed across the globe, except in very cold regions and tropical forests, the genus Salvia is the richest in the family Lamiaceae. The name Salvia, dating back to Roman times, derives from the Latin salvus 'healthy' in reference to the medicinal virtues of common sage.