SALVIA “Amistad” Friendship Sage

This easy to grow, member of the Mint family, was found at a plant sale in Argentina in 2005 & sent off to collectors in England & the US. It has since gained a following for its merits, including the Royal Horticultural Society, who gave it the prestigious Award of Garden Merit.

Those merits include being easy to grow, even in containers, deer & rabbit resistant,
plus it attracts bees, butterflies & hummingbirds with these large, dark violet-purple flowers. If the spent flowers are removed or used as cut flowers, it can bloom from spring to early fall.
It was even called “floriferous!”

It prefers full sun, grows to be 3-5ft tall & 4’-6’ft wide, but is not aggressive. Pruning in spring is recommended. It can be grown as an annual or overwintered indoors when planted outside its hardiness zone.
It will tolerate winter temperatures down to 8-10F (-12.2 to -6.7C)

In my area of brutal summer sun, it will probably need some afternoon shade.
I am excited to find a bright corner in my front yard.