Common Name: Pineapple Sage

General Information

Salvia elegans is an evergreen, perennial plant growing about 100 - 150cm tall and often spreading at the roots to form a large clump[]..The stems can become more or less woody and persist[].
The leaves are sometimes used as a flavouring with the scent of pineapple. The plant is often cultivated in herb gardens, both for ornament and herbal use[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

C. America - Guatemala, north to northern Mexico.

Habitat

Woodland edges; at elevations from 1,800 - 2,800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Humming birds
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Salvia elegans is found from moderate elevations in the tropics of central America to the subtropical climate of northern Mexico. It is usually found at elevations above 1,700 metres. The plant tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c and can be grown outdoors in the warmer regions of the temperate zone[]. Even in milder regions of the temperate zone, however, the top growth of this plant will usually be cut back to the ground in cold winters but, if the roots are given a good mulch in the autumn, plants will often survive the winter outdoors and resprout freely from the base in the spring[].
Requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a warm sunny position[]. Prefers a rich soil[]. Plants can be killed by excessive winter wet[].
This species comes into bloom in the autumn and early winter, and requires frost-free conditions at this time if it is to succeed[].
The species is of unknown origin, but is thought to be a horticultural form of the ornamental red sage (Salvia splendens[])
There are some named varieties. 'Scarlet Pineapple' has leaves with a pineapple-like scent[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

The leaves have a pleasant scent of pineapple and can be used fresh or dried as a flavouring[, ]. They are added to cold drinks and fruit salads, fresh leaves can be placed under sponge cake mixtures to give a subtle scent, whilst the fresh or dried leaves can be added to savoury dishes to give a sausage-like flavour[, ].

An infusion of the leaves is drunk as a tea[].

Flowers - raw[]. Eaten in salads, they have an excellent, sweet, fruity flavour[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are very attractive to bees, providing a good source of nectar[].
The cultivar 'Honey Melon' can be grown as a thick ground cover[].

Other Uses

An extract of the stems, flowers and leaves is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a humectant and skin conditioner[].

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[].