Salvia microphylla Little Kiss

Salvia microphylla 'Little Kiss' is a compact shrubby sage with bicoloured red and white flowers from late spring to autumn. Its dense habit and small semi-evergreen aromatic leaves make it a valuable ally for sunny and warm terraces and gardens. Only moderately frost-hardy, it will need protection in cold regions.

The small-leaved sage 'Little Kiss' belongs to the large family of Lamiaceae, which offers the gardener numerous aromatic and ornamental plants (thyme, rosemary, catmint, agastache, etc.). This variety comes from a group of salvias native to the mountains of Central America, which gives them a reasonable hardiness of about -10°C (14°F). These salvias are woody: their stems harden and form wood, which will however be damaged by severe frost, especially in cold climates. The foliage is semi-evergreen in mild climates, small and ovate, and deliciously aromatic, with hints of mint and lemon. This fragrance is particularly pronounced in hot and dry weather, and the essential oils often make the leaves slightly sticky.
Between May and October (or even later), 'Little Kiss' sage produces numerous small two-lipped flowers in sparkling red and white which is attractive to bees. Its habit is compact: it will reach about 45 cm (18in) in height and 60 cm (24in) in width.

The origins of 'Little Kiss' shrubby sage make it a plant well suited to sunny, dry, chalky, and rocky soils (even limestone), but moderately frost hardy: it will grow without problems in mild and warm climates, but will require winter protection if the temperatures frequently drop below -10°C. In this case, grow it in containers and bring it indoors as soon as frost is forecast. If you want to plant it outdoors in cold regions, make sure to provide it with a well-protected location, sheltered from cold winds. You can also mulch its base, but be careful not to choose a material that retains too much moisture: use a mineral mulch like gravel, as excessive winter moisture would be fatal to it. If the summer is very dry, 'Little Kiss' sage may occasionally need watering to support its flowering, always taking care not to excessively wet its base. You can prune it back in late winter to make the plant denser but not before the last frost has passed.

Perfect in rock gardens, dry borders, and containers, this sage will form beautiful combinations with other shrubby salvias such as 'Raspberry Royal', 'Blue Note', or 'Hot Lips', which resembles it but in a larger size. You can also place a ground cover of dry soil such as 'Flashing Light' delta dianthus, Erodium chrysanthum, or 'Weisser Zwerg' Iberis at its base for colourful borders or containers throughout much of the year.