Hi all! Just bought my first batch of 'Pineapple Sage'. The label didn't indicate height or spread, so looked it up on the internet when I got home and have found various info regarding its height: 2 feet and 4 feet at maturity. So, should I expect 2 feet or 4 feet?? And, does anyone know how long it takes to reach its 'mature' height??? Who'da thunk! Right now, it's all of about 3-4 inches tall :-) Then there's the 'Balm' I also just picked up. Again a label with nothing other than 'Balm' - use for fish! So, is this 'lemon balm'??? Aside from bee balm,(which I don't think it is), are there 'balms' other than lemon? According to the info I found on it, it will grow to about 3 feet tall! Holy Cow, two new herbs that I think will be way too big for my little herb patch!
Any comments or advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Sharron
Pineapple Sage & Balm
The Pineapple Sage gets to be about 2 feet, plus or minus a little in my 5a garden, so probably will be about the same for you. It isn't hardy, but puts on a lovely show for the summer. If you have lemon balm, you will be able to tell from the scent - very strongly lemon. Beware - it spreads itself around, being a member of the mint family. It will get to be about the same size as the sage, but is extremely hardy and, like I said, fond of moving around without assistance from you. You might try putting it in some kind of container sunk in the garden and dead heading religiously.
Pineapple sage is best treated as an annual. It is perennial here; but, in my opinion aren't all that attractive after their first year. Probably the best thing to do would be to cut it to the ground and start small plants from cuttings.
The leaves smell nice in the garden. However they have no flavor for cooking or other uses.
The flowers are tasty and make a nice garnish for fruit salads or lemonade. Plus, the plant is a true hummingbird magnet.
I've planted pineapple sage also this year. I planted it last summer but it was way too hot at the time when I planted it and it didn't survive. This year I bought it early and it's doing really nice so far. Getting bigger and spreading out a bit. No flowers yet but me and the hummies are waiting. I have planted lemon balm from seed this year also but it hasn't come up yet.
-Juli
Pineapple Sage flowers pretty late in the year. Not sure what zone you are in; but, it is a good fall/winter nectar source for hummingbirds. It will keep them around, if you don't put out a feeder.
From my garden photos from 2003, it looks like it started flowering in August and kept going well through November.
Erik
Here, in zone 5, it was late summer - July and August right up to and past the first few frosts. The hummers visited it early, but were long gone before it quit blooming. I'm a little nuts about salvias - the less common ones and the little ruby throats that visit us from May to August seem to share that feeling.
Pineapple Sage does bloom late in the season I consider it one of my fall bloomers. I treat it as an annual here also I have had it get as tall as 4 feet. http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/10980/ . It was a fight between the passiflora and the sage. lol Kathleen is right if you got lemon balm pot it or you will have it from now on all over the place.
This message was edited Jun 20, 2005 7:21 AM
Pineapple Sage does very well in this area.I have had mine for 5 years and for some stange reason it began to bloom more than a month ago.I say stange because my son in law grows it in the same zone a few miles inland in the full sun.His blooms late and is much lusher as he punes it down every year.Mine is in a raised bed under the live oaks and I only prune off the dead wood.It will bloom until frost and is indeed a hummingbird magnet.I am going to plant melon sage which looks like the same thing but has a melon scent.
This is a wonderful plant! I'm in a much hotter climate, so mine gets at least 3x3. The hummers just love it!
I am so glad to read this, I have a Pineapple Sage planted this spring. It took it a long time to start growing. It is growing well now but no flowers yet. I was beginning to wonder if it was mislabeled. Should have read the plantfiles member comments. I 've done that for other plants but didn't on this one? Will have to take some cuttings and put some where they can be seen from my windows because I sure do love watching the butterflies and birds. Thanks for all the info.
Angele, mine doesn't bloom until later in the season, so yours is normal.