Yes. It is similar to, but not as durable as garden sage. It is more erect shrub and less tolerant of humidity and wet roots, but grows well in raised (sand) beds.

Thanks Rich!
Salvia officinalis is no easy plant to grow here either.
It performs better in a pot than in the garden. I will
give it a try.Still trying to get things organized for the
Society.
Art

Hi Art,

Yes, I grow this but it does not like my climate so it never looks really happy, though it makes quite a big woody-based bush and is fairly hardy. I've been away and still am this summer because my son has been in hospital elsewhere, but when I left in early August it had not yet flowered, and it may not have done at all as the summer was so wet for us this year. It survived last winter out of doors in a big pot right up against the house wall, but I fear we have already had some nights colder than any last year and I wasn't there to take it in, so I may not have it any more!! I think it is quite a bit less hardy than S officinalis but likes the same conditions (i.e. sunny and well drained); the leaves are to me more attractive - a more interesting shape and hairier - but the flowers less so, definitely on the wishy-washy side. However, it flowers much later and is about the same size so would make a good complementary planting with S officinalis where the difference in hardiness wiould not matter.

officinalis does great out here in the hills, hmm. I am in contact with a woman in northern greece who is listing a red and a blue salvia, no latin name attached, on her list, not on this garden forum. I do not know if she knows it's variety. Everything else had a latin name except for these two plants. That might be a good sign that it is a wild or common one over there.

Can't think of any red salvias native to Europe, though there are various blues.

I think red flowered salvias are wild only in areas with hummingbirds or other bird pollinators. Red is their favorite color!

Is this Lorraine Schmiege? She has a number of new world sages growing.

drusilla:
Thank You for the info on S.fruticosa when you say cold
hardy what are the temperatures do you experience in the winter in which part of the UK? We left London and it
started snowing. We don't get much snow here in Austin,Tx.
Art

I'm close to the sea in N Wales so not very cold (we don't get much snow either - but then, neither does London, really!) - our normal lowest winter temperatures are about -3 or -4 (sorry, not sure what this is in Farenheit - about middle to high twenties maybe?) for the odd night here and there, though occasionally it can be colder. Where there is less rain S fruticosa would probably tolerate more cold - it's usually the combination of much wet with a little cold that does for them, in my experience!

Drusilla
Thanks,-4 Celsius is equal to 28 degrees F. I hope it will take our heat here (38 Celsius). Our spring is wet summer
is Hot and Dry then fall can be either way.
Thanks again!
Art

It sounds to me as though it would absolutely love it. 38 degrees would be nothing out of the ordinary on a hot summer day in the E Mediterranean and summers are certainly dry there; spring rain is what gets everything going, so sounds perfect.

I wouldn't like your hot summers myself but an awful lot of the plants that I (try to) grow would much rather be living with you!!