Practical
Plants

Salvia sylvestris

Balkan Clary

a perennial member of the Salvia genus in the family Labiatae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Labiatae
Genus
Salvia
Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Spread
0.5 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The aromatic leaves are used as an adulterant for sage as a food flavouring[1].

Product or use
Condiment

Environment

Range
Europe to W. Asia.
Habitat
Rocky slopes, dry meadows and rough ground[2].Rocky slopes in steppes, fallow fields, sloping meadows and waste ground, 1000 - 2300 metres in Turkey[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow March/April in a greenhouse[5]. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer. In areas where the plant is towards the limits of its hardiness, it is best to grow the plants on in a greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood succeed at almost any time in the growing season[5].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An easily grown plant[5], it prefers a sunny position and a well-drained soil[4][5], succeeding in dry soils[4]. Established plants are drought resistant[4]. Hardy to about -20°c[2]. If the plants are dead-headed after flowering they will normally flower again later in the summer[4]. Plants have stout stems and require little if any staking[5]. There are several named forms selected for their ornamental value[3]. This species is well suited to the wild garden, growing well in the summer meadow[5]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[6].

References

  1. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  2. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩1↩2

  3. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

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  4. Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 1982-00-00 ISBN 0460045512

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  6. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩

  7. Davis. P. H. Flora of Turkey. Edinburgh University Press 1965-00-00

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