Salvia verticillata Purple Rain - Lilac Sage, Whorled Clary Sage

Salvia verticillata Purple Rain has been a very successful component of my garden. It went completely to the ground with the first frosts and I thought I had lost it. I had it in containers and in the ground. Come about April both came back famously. I divided the pots and enjoyed the lush growth in my silty clay loam. Salvia verticillata grows to about 18 inches tall. The leaves are beautifully hairy. The blooms are a wonderful rich purple. I cut the plant back hard at the end of the summer as the new growth comes on and then again in the winter after they have died back. Salvia verticillata is a native to the mountains of Mexico at about 4,000 feet. This sage is a great addition to the butterfly garden.