Pineapple Sage
(Salvia elegans)
Pineapple Sage with Yucca "Color Guard"
Hardy to Zone 9
Bloom Time - Fall
Colors - Red
Foliage - Soft, fuzzy, light green leaves, 2"-4"
Size - 3'-5' tall
Exposure - Full sun
Comments - This is one of my favorite fall plants. In late September and early October it puts on quite a show with it's ruby red tubular spikes. The hummingbirds, soon to depart, love it and I'm sure they appreciate this last minute nectar source as most other plants are fading away. The fragrance, released when you crush a leaf, is indeed just like crushed pineapple.
It needs sun to flower nicely and will form a nice 3'x 3' (or taller) clump. It has an airy, open-branched habit and will need watering during dry spells. It will wilt when deprived of water but will quickly bounce back after watering.
Pineapple Sage is not reliably hardy in north Alabama and I only recall one year when it returned after a mild winter. It is easy to root by taking tip cuttings in spring. I have also heard that it can be stored in a basement or garage and overwintered but I have not tried this.
The plant is native to Mexico and Guatemala. In Mexico, it has traditionally been used to treat anxiety. The leaves are wonderful in tea.
Return to Perennials and Annuals
Bloom Time - Fall
Colors - Red
Foliage - Soft, fuzzy, light green leaves, 2"-4"
Size - 3'-5' tall
Exposure - Full sun
Comments - This is one of my favorite fall plants. In late September and early October it puts on quite a show with it's ruby red tubular spikes. The hummingbirds, soon to depart, love it and I'm sure they appreciate this last minute nectar source as most other plants are fading away. The fragrance, released when you crush a leaf, is indeed just like crushed pineapple.
It needs sun to flower nicely and will form a nice 3'x 3' (or taller) clump. It has an airy, open-branched habit and will need watering during dry spells. It will wilt when deprived of water but will quickly bounce back after watering.
Pineapple Sage is not reliably hardy in north Alabama and I only recall one year when it returned after a mild winter. It is easy to root by taking tip cuttings in spring. I have also heard that it can be stored in a basement or garage and overwintered but I have not tried this.
The plant is native to Mexico and Guatemala. In Mexico, it has traditionally been used to treat anxiety. The leaves are wonderful in tea.
Return to Perennials and Annuals