Plants of the Month: Salvia (October 2024)

Salvia ‘Amistad’, in less than 20 years, has become a much-loved cultivar throughout the world. and is known as the ‘friendship sage’. It was discovered in a tray of salvias at a plant sale in Argentina in 2005 by Dr Rolando Uria, and he decided to name it ‘Amistad’, meaning ‘friendship’ in Spanish. 

There is much to love about this plant, in that its 1.5m high, bushy, rounded habit is ideal for planting schemes, guaranteeing a display of purple flower spires, with highly aromatic foliage, from mid-summer until the frosts in October-November.  It’s not 100% hardy, so I have lost it a couple of times over the years but it’s always worth repurchasing. The young growths are adored by slugs and snails, so during wet weather in spring it can be difficult to get going. 

I have noticed, however, that in London’s parks, Salvia ‘Amistad’ really thrives and can be seen growing happily and well-established in May, beneath London Planes in much drier soils, where the mature trees are protecting the plants during the winter months.  And the drier soils obviously do not attract the slugs during early spring growth.

This year I’m growing Salvia ‘Amistad’ with Salvia ‘So Cool Purple’ (which has survived two winters), purple Asarina procumbens (survived last winter), Morning Glory (annual) and pink Salvia ‘Curviflora’ (survived two winters), and the combination has turned out to be a very pleasing and harmonious.

Salvia ‘Amistad’ is, in my opinion, a 10/10 plant and deservedly received the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 2016.

Salvia ‘Pink Amistad’ was bred by Dr Rolando Uria in about 2017, chosen from a selection of seedlings.  This cultivar is considered hardier than Salvia ‘Amistad’, so it will be interesting to see how it fares over the next winter or two.

I purchased this cultivar at a plant fair this June (on a very cold, wet day) and it is planted on the shadier side of the garden (as there is no spare room on the sunnier side!) It seems tough and quite vigorous at the moment, sending out spires of mid-to-soft-pale-pink flower spires and I think it’s rather lovely. The foliage is aromatic but not as strongly scented as ‘Amistad’. Altogether, I can highly recommend this cultivar and, as with Salvia ‘Amistad’, if I lose it due to a cold and wet winter, I will definitely purchase another in 2025!”

Anna L