#675 Salvia elegans Common Names: pineapple sage, pineapple scented sage Family: Lamiaceae/Labiatae (mint Family) Get link to this Profile or click for data record #675

Vivid red flowers and bright green foliage make pineapple sage one of the showiest inhabitants of the herb garden (or any garden for that matter!) and is hugely appreciated by butterflies, hummingbirds and people alike.

Location
Pineapple sage grows naturally in oak and pine scrub forests at elevations from 8,000-10,000 ft (2,438-3,048 m) in Mexico and Guatemala.

Culture
Light: Grow pineapple sage in full sun.
Moisture: Regular watering for best growth and flowering. Pineapple sage will wilt and eventually lose leaves during droughts, but when watering resumes it usually comes back.
Hardiness: Pineapple sage is a semiwoody subshrub in USDA zones 9-11, and an herbaceous perennial, dying to the ground in winter but resprouting in spring, in zones 8-9. Gardeners in colder areas grow pineapple sage as an annual, or bring it indoors in the winter.
Propagation: Pineapple sage is rarely grown from seed. Tip cuttings taken in spring are easy to start.

Pineapple sage is a tough beauty that finds use in beds borders and herb gardens. In container gardens it plays well with other plants by providing a lush green backdrop for its smaller pot partners.

Features
There are more than 700 species of Salvia, and many gardeners have become Salvia collectors. The "salvias" are also referred to as "sages", most are tough and easy to grow and many attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

The fresh leaves of pineapple sage are used in fruit salads and drinks. Crush a few fragrant leaves into hot or iced tea for a flavorful treat. The delicious flowers add color and flavor to salads and deserts.

Steve Christman 6/27/00; updated 12/30/02, 5/3/03, 9/5/03

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