Salvia nemorosa Feathers Flamingo Bocoffla

Salvia nemorosa Feathers Flamingo is a variety of bush sage, compact, airy and elegant, with deeply incised foliage. Its flowering is soft pink, in dense spikes that appear in the heart of summer, from June to August, and bloom again in autumn. This perennial excels in windy gardens and withstands drought and sea spray. Easy to grow in most regions, in the garden and in pots, it is one of the hardiest sages, and as such a wonderful garden perennial that does not disappoint.

Salvia nemorosa is a perennial of the Lamiaceae or Labiatae family. It is a species native to central Europe and western Asia. Feathers Flamingo 'Bocoffla' is one of its many cultivars. It reaches an adult size of about 45cm in height and 30cm (12in) in width. This perennial grows from a prostrate rosette of dark green leaves with toothed edges. It has a bushy, well-branched and sturdy habit. The flowering takes place from June to August, in terminal clusters composed of numerous small flowers (0.5 to 1cm) of pale pink. The beautiful compact spikes with nectar-rich flowers follow one another throughout the summer and delight butterflies. The plant blooms again in autumn.

This bush sage has the advantage of blooming until late summer if faded inflorescences are removed. It withstands everything, even wind, cold, heat and poor soils. It looks superb with grey foliage of Artemisias in dry soil; or purple foliage like that of Physocarpus opulifolius 'Lady in Red' in moister soil. It also pairs well with pink-flowering plants like Verbena hastata 'Rosea', Lavatera 'Barnsley' or Penstemon 'Evelyn'. It is also perfect for mass plantings and borders along with Perovskias or Hardy Geraniums. 

With more than 900 species of annuals, perennials and woody shrubs, distributed all over the globe, except for very cold regions and tropical forests, the genus Salvia is the richest in the Lamiaceae family. The name Salvia, dating back to Roman times, derives from the Latin salvus "healthy" in reference to the medicinal properties of common sage.