Baby Sage

Baby Sage (Salvia microphylla) is a rounded evergreen perennial about 1m tall and 1m wide that flowers in red and pink for most of the year. Brush the foliage and it releases a blackcurrant scent, which is where its other common name comes from. It is frost hardy, drought tolerant, safe around cats and dogs, and one of the best nectar plants for a small garden.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers for most of the year. Red and pink blooms come in waves from spring to late autumn, and in mild gardens it barely stops.
• Blackcurrant scented foliage. The small leaves are aromatic when touched, so it earns a spot beside a path or a seat.
• Honeyeaters and bees work it hard. The tubular flowers are shaped for nectar feeding birds, and bees and butterflies use it all season.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs, so it can go anywhere in a garden animals use.

Where it works best

Borders and mass planting. Plant 80cm apart for a massed border, about one and a half plants per square metre. The bushes touch by the end of the second season.

Small gardens and feature planting. A 1m shrub flowering for three seasons is what a courtyard or a narrow front bed needs, and one plant beside a doorway outperforms three short flowering ones.

Pots and containers. A pot 400mm or wider suits a balcony and keeps the plant compact, though it will need water more often.

Growing Baby Sage in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering, though it accepts a few hours of shade. It comes from the highlands of Mexico and the south western United States, which is why it takes both frost and heat. It performs across subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and humid tropical summers suit it least.

Soil. Free draining is the requirement. It is far more likely to die from wet winter soil than from cold, so on clay use a raised mound with compost and coarse sand worked through.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. A light slow release feed in early spring is enough, since heavy nitrogen gives soft growth and fewer flowers.

Pruning. This is the one job that matters. Cut it back by a third to a half in late winter, then tidy it after the summer flush. Left unpruned it goes woody and open at the base within three years.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in tube stock and in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Tubes are the sensible way to buy one or two, since salvias grow fast and a tube catches a larger plant within a season. The 140mm packs are for massed borders, where ten plants run about eight metres as a single row.

Both sizes travel well, though some leaves may drop in the box. Cut the soft tips back after planting and it will branch. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full bee and butterfly plant range
• See other plants safe for pets
• Perennial plants for a cottage garden
• Compare the wider fragrant plant range

Common questions

How often does it need pruning?

Once properly and once lightly each year. Cut it back hard in late winter to force new growth from low down, then tidy it after the summer flush. Skipping the winter cut is why most salvias go bare at the base.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. This salvia is not toxic to cats or dogs, and the aromatic foliage tends to discourage chewing anyway.

How many do I need for a border?

At 80cm spacing, about one and a half plants per square metre, or ten plants for roughly eight metres as a single row.