A Full Sun Perennial

Salvia argentea is just one of over 900 species of salvias. Unlike most in the group that are grown for their flowers, silver sage is generally prized for its eye-catching, furry silver leaves. Children and adults alike have a hard time resisting petting the soft, appealing foliage. This award-winning plant has been given the Royal Horticulture Society’s prestigious Award of Garden Merit.

Native to dry, stony grasslands of southern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean and northwest Africa, this plant is hardy in zones 5-9. It tends to be a short-lived perennial in dry areas and/or if the flowers are removed but is more typically a biennial in humid climates, especially if allowed to go to seed.
The plant grows a low clump or rosette of leaves up to three feet across. Leaves emerge crinkled but flatten as they grow, with the margins retaining a sinuous wave. The large, irregularly lobed oval leaves are densely covered with silver hairs that create a furry or wooly effect.

A Northern Sunset Perennial

Image courtesy of Ivy Garth Seeds