222 · Salvia Swan Lake

About this plant

Tall, airy spikes of snow-white flowers over fresh light-green foliage, drawing bees, butterflies and hummingbirds through spring. This is meadow clary, a European perennial rated for zones 4 to 8 — beautiful here in our mild months, but honest buyers should treat it as a one-season spring plant rather than a permanent perennial. Give it the sharpest drainage you can and enjoy it while it lasts. NOT IN Bloom in february. Rated zones 4–8: it is unlikely to survive a low-desert summer. Needs sharp drainage.

Planting it at home

When to plant out

Right away. Our low-desert planting window for cool-season plants ends about mid-February.

Where

Full sun, sharply drained soil; a spring cottage or pollinator border. Do not count on it for a permanent planting.

Spacing

8 in apart (Baker Creek)

Size

20–27 in tall (Baker Creek); Gardenia gives 18–36 in tall and wide for the species. Tall stems may flop in rich soil — light support optional.

Care

Sun

Full sun, 6–8 hours (Gardenia)

Water

Low once established, but it needs sharp drainage; it is killed by excess winter wet (Gardenia)

Feed

A light flower fertilizer every 3–4 weeks while blooming (general guide).

Pick / harvest

no published cutting stage; general salvia practice is to cut at about half the spike open

Deadhead

Cut off spent flowers to keep new blooms coming.

Good to know

Caution

Edibility unsure. Do not eat.

Grown from

Seed — sown by FHCG volunteers

Uses

Spring cottage and pollinator borders, cut flowers, meadow-style plantings

Life cycle

Perennial in zones 4–8 (Baker Creek; Gardenia). Fountain Hills is 9b — OUTSIDE its hardiness range at the warm end. Expect it to behave as a short-lived cool-season annual here and to die out over the first desert summer rather than return.

Heirloom or hybrid

Heirloom — saved seeds grow true

Pollinators

Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to the nectar-rich blooms (Baker Creek; Gardenia). A good bee plant in its range.

Heat (our summer)

Poor for 9b — a cool-temperate species with no low-desert heat track record

Cold

Yes to cold — hardy to roughly -13°F (zone 4). Cold is not its problem here; summer heat is.

Color

Snow white spikes over light green foliage (Baker Creek FL705)

Edible

Unsure. Ornamental, not a culinary sage. Do not eat.