Littleleaf sage
Salvia microphylla · Lamiaceae
📷 Dave Whitinger · CC BY-SA 3.0
The gardener's calendar
Littleleaf sage is in full bloom: enjoy it, watch watering in hot weather and let spent flowers feed pollinators before pruning.
ID card
- Foliage
- Evergreen, small aromatic leaves
- Flowering
- May to October, bright red to pink flowers
- Adult size
- 80 cm tall × 60-80 cm wide
- Growth
- Fast
- Hardiness
- Down to -10°C (zones 8-11)
- Origin
- Mexico and southwestern United States
- Soil type
- Well-draining, light, poor to medium
✓ Taxonomy verifiedSource: AI estimate · hardiness: reliability medium.
Expert tips
The key tip
Microphyllum sage will rebloom continuously if you remove spent flowers every week—it's essential upkeep for another round of fall-winter blooms. Light pruning in February.
The common mistake
Thinking it gets by on little water: wrong. While drought-tolerant, it flowers three times more profusely if watered regularly during active growth.
The pro's trick
Snip flowers as soon as they blacken, 2-3 cm from the stem, to keep the plant nicely branched.
Care
Exposure
Place your small-leaf sage in full sun, with a minimum of 6 hours per day, for abundant flowering. It also tolerates partial shade, but will produce fewer flowers. Avoid dense shade areas that slow its growth and flowering.
Watering
Water regularly during growth and flowering, once or twice a week depending on climate. Let the soil dry between waterings, as it fears excess moisture and waterlogging. In winter, reduce watering considerably, especially in cold regions.
Soil Preparation
Choose well-draining, light soil, even poor soil: a mix of garden soil, sand and gravel is ideal. Avoid clay and wet soils, which promote root rot. A modest amount of organic matter is sufficient for this undemanding plant.
Pruning and Cutting
Prune lightly in late winter or spring to reduce the plant by one third and maintain a bushy shape. Pinch back young shoots regularly during the growing season to encourage branching. Remove dead or damaged branches over time.
Fertilizer
Apply balanced fertilizer or low-nitrogen fertilizer once or twice in spring and summer. A plant that is too well-fed produces foliage at the expense of flowering. In pots, light feeding once a month is sufficient during the growing season.
Diseases and Pests
Watch out for spider mites and aphids in dry or hot conditions. Regular foliar spraying helps prevent these infestations. Maintain good drainage to avoid fungal diseases of the collar, the main weakness of this species in wet soil.
Did you know?
Salvia microphylla originates from the mountains of Mexico and was long used by indigenous peoples for its aromatic and medicinal properties. Introduced to Europe in the 19th century by botanist-explorers, it fascinates with its nearly uninterrupted flowering from May until the first frosts: scarlet flowers eagerly visited by hummingbirds and butterflies. Its Latin name "microphylla" literally means "small-leaved," a modest distinction that belies a generous and resilient plant cherished by Mediterranean and continental gardeners.
Where to buy it
Best planted in autumn so the roots settle in before summer, or in early spring once the frost has passed. Pick a plant with healthy foliage and roots that are not exposed. Best time: March, October, November.
Add this plant to my garden →Plants from the same family
- ThymeThymus vulgaris
- LavenderLavandula angustifolia
- SageSalvia officinalis
- BasilOcimum basilicum
- RosemarySalvia rosmarinus
- BugleAjuga reptans
Tips generated and checked by Viridia — adapt them to your local climate.