Salvia Species, Balm-Scented Sage, Grape-Scented Sage

I heard about this salvia from Annie's Annuals and went there to purchase a small pot during a Fall sale. The plant seemed to bake in f...Read Moreull sun in South San Jose (9b) although it received water two or three times a week. It would die a little each week and looked barren and dead by Winter. It sprouted one tiny green leaf in the Spring, and after it slowly grew more leaves, I finally transplanted it in heavy clay and full non-stop sunlight. I accidentally even stepped on it, but it grew to be two feet after a year and is now over five-feet tall. It has spread out since I have only pruned off the dead blooms and branches. Bees love it, and hummingbirds fight over it.
It seems to smell more like lavender than grape, but it's all good since it's just such a beautiful lovely, forgiving, and shapable/prunable salvia.

Seems to do really well in dry conditions, but temperatures close to 100 F seems to curl its foliage a bit.

Flowers young ...Read Moreand plentifully, growing happily all the while.

My favorite salvia! I have this growing in a gigantic planter, is lovely w/ limelight helichrysum in front. Purple flowers that are lov...Read Moreed by hummingbirds. & They really do smell like grape, very yummy.

Mine flowers even tho it only gets part sun at best. I do prune it fairly frequently to keep it neat. But the overall growth habit is still fairly dense.