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Salvia sclarea

 
Salvia sclarea

Common name clary sage
Family lamiaceae
Life cycle biennial /perennial (Z5-9)
Flowers lilac (spring-summer)
Size 2-3'
Light sun
From seed germinate at room temperature
detailed seed-starting info below

Upright sage with distinctive bracts - quite unlike most other salvias we've grown. The first time I grew this, the seed was of S. sclarea var. turkestanica, the ones we have now didn't have that distinction noted. In any case, our current ones have light purple bracts with lighter-colored flowers, quite attractive combined with the silvery-green foliage. Flowers didn't appear till the third year from seed; I've considered this to be a biennial, but many sources list it as a perennial. It may need to be cut back after flowering to saves its resources and encourage it to return another year.

clary sage
Same plant a few weeks earlier: the bracts are lighter in color to start with

This plant used to grow in our garden, but it slipped away...

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Seed-starting details for this plant

  1. Seed from '06 trade. Baggy 70F with light (100%G, 3d)
  2. Seed for var. turkestanica from '06 trade. Baggy 70F (95%G, 3-4d)
  3. Same seed as above. Baggy 70F (93%G, 3-5d)

Long-viable seed. Exposure to light not necessary.


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