This woody-based perennial is putting on a show of flower in the Scented Garden.
The genus Salvia (sage) contains over 1000 species of hardy and tender herbaceous and woody perennials and annuals from North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. The genus belongs to the Lamiaceae (mint family), and the flowers are borne in dense spikes and are typical of the family in their tubular form. All species resent wet soils and thrive in full sun or partial shade and poor, well-drained soils. S. yangii (syn. Perovskia atriplicifolia) is commonly called Russian sage. It is a sub-shrub from temperate and tropical Asia. Erect white stems are borne from a woody base and these can reach up to 1.2m. The grey-green aromatic leaves are deeply divided, and slender terminal panicles of small blue flowers are produced from late summer. The stems should be cut back in winter to the woody base to make way for new growth in spring.