SALVIA VISCOSA

Description

Native to the mountains shared by Israel and Lebanon, this tidy and unusual plant is easy to grow and is also both drought and heat resistant, flowering over a long period. With tall, branched spikes of dusky-pink flowers and strap shaped leaves in a dense rosette, it is perfect for dry borders, dying away completely each winter. Native to a small area of mountains in Lebanon and Israel, this quite rare plant was first described in 1781 by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin, but only began being sold in nurseries in the 1990's!

Sowing Advice

For best results, sow immediately onto a good soil-based compost. Cover the seeds with fine grit or compost to approximately their own depth. They can be sown at any time, and germination can sometimes be quicker if kept at 15 to 20 degrees C. We sow most seeds in an unheated greenhouse and wait for natural germination, as many seeds have built-in dormancy mechanisms, often waiting for natural spring germination, hence giving them a full season of growth.

Key Facts