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Updated Sept 18th, 2008
By Robin Corwin - LCF Outlook
Sage Advice
Want some sage advice?
Grow Salvia elegans, the elegant
pineapple sage, to bring color,
scent and hummingbirds to your
autumn and winter garden.
Beginning in September, this
four-foot shrubby perennial covers
itself with clusters of fireengine-
red flowers beloved by
hummingbirds. Be sure to place a
plant where you can view their
avian antics all fall and winter.
The pineapple-scented foliage is
a pleasing yellowish-green. Both
leaves and stems are covered in
downy white hairs. Salvia elegans
creates a clump that increases
every year. Flowering is staggered
and usually begins in
September, often lasting until
spring. Native from central
Mexico to Guatemala, this sage is
tender, succumbing to temperatures
below 30 degrees
Fahrenheit. Some hybrids exhibit
increased hardiness, though, and
the species can be placed in a
sheltered spot to increase the
likelihood of its surviving occasional
frosts.
There’s a watermelon pink
cultivar, “Frieda Dixon,” that’s
worth seeking out if you prefer a
softer hue. S. elegans “Honey
Melon,” a dwarf selection collected
by botanist Fred Boutin in
Mexico and introduced by the
Huntington in the 1970s, tops out
at two feet. Spreading by underground
runners to create a dense
groundcover, its foliage is smaller
than the species, but its flowers
are the same bright scarlet. Hardy
to 20 degrees, “Honey Melon”
begins flowering in early summer,
and if you shear it each time
flowers fade, blooming can
extend well into autumn.
Worry not about tenderness,
as salvias are easy to propagate.
Tip cuttings taken from nonblooming
stems root and flourish
quickly, so they can provide
insurance in case a frost kills
your mature plant. Salvia elegans
is also easily obtainable in spring
from most nurseries. You’ll find it
in the herb section. A mature
plant can be divided at almost
any time of the year, and should
be cut back hard when it starts
looking ragged.
The foliage of Salvia elegans
can be enjoyed in many tasty
ways. Steeping fresh leaves in
boiling water creates a fragrant
cup of herbal tea, which is also
delicious chilled. Minced leaves
can be added to fruit desserts and
sweet salsas. Infuse a quantity of
fresh foliage in a simple syrup
and use it to flavor iced teas,
cocktails and fruit salads.
Although its honeysuckle-like
flowers don’t posses a pineapple
aroma or flavor, their bright hue
makes them colorful and edible
garnishes for many dishes.
I wouldn’t be without this
cheery, fragrant sage!
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