Salvia 'East Friesland' Ornamental Sage

(Syn. 'Ostfriesland.')

Tall, slender, brilliantly colorful bloomspikes cover this perennial sage over an extra-long season. A classic name in the family, 'East Friesland' Ornamental Sage has been voted one of the Top 10 Perennials of All Time—and one season in your garden will show you why.

If you have a swathe of sun-soaked soil left anywhere in the perennial border or meadow garden, treat it to the long-lasting, multi-season beauty of Salvia 'East Friesland' Ornamental Sage. This woodland sage is much more compact, longer-blooming, and more intensely colored than others. The deep blue blooms really stand out on upright 18-inch plants, blooming heavily in early summer and then repeating their fine show later in the season, often all the way into fall.

Salvia 'East Friesland' Ornamental Sage attracts butterflies and bees, its bloom spikes keeping their color even in punishing heat and humidity. They make nice fillers for indoor bouquets but are so spectacular when massed in the garden that you may not be able to bear cutting them.

Space these perennials about 15 inches apart in the garden. Famously unfussy about soil, they flourish in blazing sun, tolerating drought and heat. Make new plants to share with others or to increase your own garden holdings by dividing mature plants every 3 to 4 years.