Salvias are suited to every region of Australia – but they’re no native

Salvias tolerate hot and dry conditions, most soil types, and are rarely troubled by pests or diseases, which is why they are perfectly suited to every region of Australia.

Perennial Salvia in bloom.

Salvias are a huge group of flowering perennials, loved for their generous flowering most of the year and for how easy they are to grow. Salvias tolerate hot and dry conditions, most soil types, and are rarely troubled by pests or diseases. And they’re attractive to birds, bees and other pollinators. There are more than 900 species, with hundreds more cultivars and hybrids bred from those, in almost every colour, ranging from groundcovers to 4m-tall shrubs. There are salvias suited to every region of Australia, although interestingly we have no native species. Most flower through the warm months, but some are winter flowering, so you can have salvias in bloom all year. Salvias include some important edibles such as sage (S. officinalis) and chia (S. hispanica) and many have aromatic foliage. They’re rapid growers that benefit from annual pruning to keep them bushy and fresh. Use salvias in massed plantings or mixed with lavenders, roses or even ornamental grasses. For hot dry areas, look for the ‘Heatwave’ and ‘Mirage’ series, available in a wide range of colours, and in the sub-tropics try pineapple sage (S. elegans) with edible red flowers, S. ‘Black and Blue’ and the Wishes series.

Salvias – Tried and True

These four popular salvias represent part of the wide range available.

Salvia ‘Love and Wishes’

Salvia ‘Velour White’

These are tried and true performers.

Salvia ‘Hotlips’

Salvia ‘Limelight’

Q&A

I’ve just lost a healthy banksia tree — it went totally brown in just weeks. Plants at its base are still healthy, including a climbing rose I’ve been watering regularly. Have I caused root rot?

Chris Hogan, Brisbane

Coast banksia thrives in dry, poor soil whereas roses enjoy the opposite, so they’re not great partners. Banksias dislike phosphorus, which is plentiful in rose fertilisers; too much can kill them. They’re also highly susceptible to the root-rot pathogen Phytophthora, which thrives in moist soils and can cause sudden death, especially in wet, warm, humid conditions. It persists in the soil and is spread via water and soil traces on tools and shoes. There is no cure but adding organic matter to the soil encourages good microorganisms that fight the bad. Not all plants are affected by Phytophthora.

My two mock orange (Philadelphus) shrubs flowered beautifully for two years but I forgot to prune them last year and they went tall and caney. Should I prune them now?

Merrian, by email

These unruly shrubs flower on new growth from last year’s stems, so they should be pruned straight after flowering by cutting back lanky stems to a strong bud to create a balanced shape. You can prune now but this might sacrifice next spring’s blooms.

My balcony’s potted parsley, chilli, mint and sunflowers have round holes eaten into their leaves. I’ve unsuccessfully tried spraying pyrethrum and Eco-Oil. Any suggestions?

David Beaton, Perth

If it’s tiny snails, sprays won’t work; pick them off at night or use pet-friendly Multiguard snail pellets or trap them in a saucer of beer dregs. Pyrethrum kills a wide range of insects (including caterpillars) but works on contact then degrades rapidly, so it needs frequent and thorough applications. It will also kill beneficial insects. Eco-Oil is not a caterpillar killer; try organic Dipel or search carefully to pick them off by hand.

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