• Salvia &
  • Salvia &
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Salvia 'Amethyst Lips' ABCDE

Sage

Striking bicolour blooms of purple and white from early summer to the first frosts make Salvia 'Amethyst Lips' a long-flowering, pollinator-friendly choice for a sunny border or patio pot.

Supplied as an established plant in a 3 litre pot

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Salvia &
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Aspect

Full sun

Hardiness

Hardy in milder parts of the UK, but benefits from winter protection in colder or exposed gardens. In cold areas, grow in a container that can be moved to a sheltered spot, cold greenhouse or conservatory over winter, and protect the roots with a thick mulch.

Flowers

Summer

Soil

Loam, sand, chalk

About this plant

Purple-tipped blooms from early summer to the frosts

  • Description

    Salvia 'Amethyst Lips' is a bushy, shrubby sage closely related to the popular 'Hot Lips'. Through summer it produces an abundance of two-lipped flowers that are white at the base and tipped with rich amethyst-purple, with some blooms appearing solid purple or solid white depending on the weather. The small, ovate, mid-green leaves are aromatic, and the plant flowers freely over a long season, drawing in bees and other pollinators.

  • Why we like it

    “

    'Amethyst Lips' earns its place with sheer flower power, blooming from early summer right through to the first frosts. The two-tone purple and white flowers shift with the weather, so no two displays look quite the same, and the aromatic foliage adds another dimension. It suits cottage borders, gravel and Mediterranean-style plantings, and does just as well in a patio pot.

Key features

What makes it special

Long-lasting blooms that persist for months

Loved by bees & pollinators

Specs & details

The particulars

Botanical name
Salvia 'Amethyst Lips' ABCDE
Common name
Sage
Supplied as
3 litre pot
Flower colour
Purple
Eventual height
60-90cm
Eventual spread
45-60cm
Flowering period
Summer
Habit
Bushy, upright subshrub
Life cycle
Shrubby perennial
Hardiness
Hardy in milder parts of the UK, but benefits from winter protection in colder or exposed gardens. In cold areas, grow in a container that can be moved to a sheltered spot, cold greenhouse or conservatory over winter, and protect the roots with a thick mulch.
Aspect
Full sun
Soil type
Loam, sand, chalk
Moisture
Well-drained
Position
Mid-border, patio container
Plant spacing
Space around 45 to 50cm apart (approximately 4 plants per m²)
Growing skill
Easy to grow

Plant calendar

When to plant, when it performs

 
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Planting
Flowering

Plant out in late spring once the risk of frost has passed. Flowers appear from early summer through to the first frosts.

Planting & care

Help it thrive

Planting guide

Plant out in late spring, after the last frost, into well-drained soil in full sun. Choose a sheltered spot away from cold, drying winds, and avoid heavy or waterlogged ground. Water well while establishing, then only during dry spells. Space plants around 45 to 50cm apart.

Care tips

Water during dry spells in the first growing season, after which the plant is drought-tolerant. Remove flower spikes as soon as they fade to prolong the display. Prune lightly in mid-spring, once new growth appears, removing any dead or damaged stems to keep a bushy shape.

Winter care