Salvia  candelabrum: a hardy, woody open shrub, growing approx 90cmH in full sun with small purple flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salvia candelabrum is a tough hardy plant for a full sun position.

Flowers: are falcate in shape, with a large opening between the hood and the lower lobes. The whole flower is a vibrant purple with the hood being a paler mauve. Both the hood, the tube and the inside the throat are marked with purple and white stripes. The  two side lobes are the same vibrant purple with the middle lobe falling down abruptly showing the dominating white stripes of the beeline. Markings within the throat guide the bee or insect further into the flower for nectar.

The flowers are held in whorls of 4-8 flowers similar to a candelabra  (hence the name), The flowers are held vertically against the stem, so that the hood and lips are pointing upwards and the middle lobe is folded neatly down visibly showing the beeline.
This is a way of attracting insects. The beeline  allows insects to land and be guided down into the flower. Flowers are held well above the foliage to attract passing bees and insects.
Flowering in spring and summer occasionally into autumn.

Calyces: are a mid green, sparsely ribbed with blunted lobes, all held on slender green stems.
Leaves: are grey, lanceolate  with 2 small side lobes at the petiole,   pointed apexes, textured (like  a typical sage leaf) with very fine  crenations along the  margins. Very aromatic when crushed.

Coming from Spain, Salvia candelabrum is a shrubby Salvia that should be grown hard to keep it compact. Grow in full sun with good drainage, don’t crowd in with taller shrubs, give it plenty of room with good airflow.

Grow with other tough, hardy, drought tolerant plants. Plant with other white, yellow, cerise or pale pink coloured perennials, showing the vibrancy of it’s purple flowers during summer.
A tough, hardy Salvia for the dry hot summer season , tolerating light frosts during the cold winter months.

During autumn, after the main flowering is finished, cut off any spent stems, old leaves, any dead or twiggy stems. Look at the shape and cut back to good green shoots to allow regeneration of the shrub.

Propagation : is by tip cuttings of new growth taken in spring and early summer. Cuttings of old growth do not readily strike.

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