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Key characteristics

Family: Lamiaceae
Height: 18-24 inches tall
Width: 12-18 inches wide
Flower color: Deep, intense blue
Foliage color: Mid-green, heart-shaped leaves
Bloom time: Midsummer to early fall
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low; deadheading encourages continuous blooming
Growing zone: USDA Zones 8-10
Wildlife: Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees

Perennials

Salvia patens

Gentian Sage

Salvia patens, commonly known as gentian sage, is renowned for its vivid, true-blue flowers that appear in late spring and continue blooming well into autumn. The tubular flowers grow in pairs along slender stems, creating a lively display that adds vibrant color to garden beds, borders, and containers. The intense blue hue is rarely seen in garden plants, making this salvia a standout choice for adding a cool-toned contrast.

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Midsummer to early fall

Find this plant

Works well in

Borders
Cottage Gardens
Pollinator Gardens
Hummingbird Gardens
Containers

Companion plants

Japanese anemones · Bleeding hearts · Catmint · Heucheras · Lady's mantle · Hellebores

Design tip

Late flowers extend the season, so set it behind or beside plants that finish in midsummer. It takes sun or light shade, which makes it useful along the changing light of a bed edge or a partly shaded border.