Salvia disermas ‘Slimline’: An upright open Salvia 60-80 cm H with slender leaves and white flowers in spring and summer.
Salvia disermas ‘Slimline’: was formally known as S. rugosa:
Flowers: are white, small, falcate shaped , with the hood and the lower lobes being approx. the same size. The bottom lobe is usually cupped to catch a dollop of dew and act as a landing base for bees and other insects.
The space between the hood and bottom lobes is large enough to allow bees to crawl inside the flower. There are some very fine markings around the throat area to guide the bees further into the flower.
Flowers are in whorls of 4-6 flowers around a green square central hairy stem appearing well above the foliage to attract passing insects. Flowers begin in spring and continue all the way through to autumn. Very bee and insect friendly.
Calyces: are hairy, green with ribbed pointed lobes. Often there are new buds appearing at the top at the same time as seed capsules are forming lower down the stem. Constantly in flower. The calyces become a lovely straw colour as they dry during the summer. These remain until cut down in autumn.
Leaves: are a pale grass green, elongated and narrow with soft crenations around the margin with a narrow rounded apex. Leaves are mildly hairy, nicely aromatic and textured to trap moisture which is guided down towards the base and roots.
Salvia disermas ‘Slimline’: is a good clumping filler for the front of a bed, rockery or behind smaller plants. Tough, hardy for summer’s dry heat and winter cold, frost hardy but needs good drainage.
Grow in full sun with other plants liking the same growing conditions. Ideal for a white themed garden, a gravel garden, the seaside or an informal border.
At the end of summer or autumn, when most of the flowers have finished, it’s time to tidy up. Collect any seed and cut off the flower stems down at the base or to a new growth shoot, clean away any dead stems and leaves.
Feed and mulch to keep the root area warm during the cold winter months. In spring when there will be another fresh flush of flower stems, feed again and top up mulch to keep the root area cool during the hot dry summer months. Check for snails.
Propagation: is by new basal shoots, tip cuttings taken at any time of year or by seed. Very Bee friendly.