Common Name:

General Information

Salvia aethiopis is an erect, biennial to perennial plant. It overwinters as a basal rosette of leaves that can be 30cm or more in diameter, then produces a flowering stem 50 - 100cm tall[, ].
The plant has in the past been cultivated for medicinal use in Central Europe, but is now only grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern Europe to central Asia - France to Portugal, east to Uzbekistan and Iran

Habitat

Steppes, meadows on mountain slopes, dry stony and clayey places, chalk and limestone outcrops, plowed fields and pastures[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Biennial/Perennial
Height	0.80 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Salvia aethiopis is a plant of mediterranean to semi-arid climates. A moderately cold-hardy plant, it is able to tolerate winter temperatures down to around -18°c so long as the soil is well drained[].
Salvia species generally grow best in a sunny position and a well-drained soil[].
Often biennial in habit, if the flowering stem is removed when flowering is nearly over, but before seed set, the plant will often continue growing healthily for at least another year[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Formerly cultivated as a medicinal plant - no details given of uses[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow early to mid spring in a greenhouse[]. 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[].