Salvia officinalis Aurea

Salvia officinalis 'Aurea' is a lovely variety of medicinal sage that stands out for its more compact habit and beautiful greyish green evergreen foliage with golden margins (smaller than in Salvia officinalis 'Icterina'). Its late spring flowering, in long spikes of pale mauve nectar-rich flowers, is identical to that of wild medicinal sage. This perennial medicinal plant can also be used in herbal tea or to flavour cooking. Plant it in a sunny location, in well-drained but not too dry soil in summer.

Salvia officinalis, like all sages, belongs to the family Lamiaceae. This undershrub is native to Western Asia but has been widespread and naturalised for a long time in the Mediterranean region.  It is a plant that thrives in well-drained, even rocky soil and tolerates the presence of limestone in the soil. Relatively water-efficient, this sage will be more beautiful in soils that remain somewhat moist in summer.

'Aurea' forms a small bush composed of woody, hairy stems at the base, bearing small crinkled and rough leaves irregularly mottled with yellow on the edges on a greyish green background, lighter on the underside. It will reach about 60 cm (24in) in height when in bloom. The flowers, nectar-rich and honey-producing, appear between May and July. The floral spikes are erect and have a square section, bearing mauve flowers surrounded at the base by a velvety-looking, more violet calyx. The flowers are composed of two lips. The foliage, highly aromatic when crushed, is evergreen even in winter. The plant tissues contain a highly studied essential oil with interesting therapeutic and culinary properties.

In the garden, do not hesitate to mix different types by planting some aromatic plants like Sage officinalis and its varieties right in the middle of your perennial flower beds or even in rock gardens. They will blend in perfectly, fill in gaps without requiring maintenance, and the sometimes powerful scents of aromatic plants often have the ability to repel insects that may attack more sensitive plants such as certain roses or lilies.  Salvia officinalis Aurea has real ornamental qualities that embrace nature, be it a country-style garden or a herb garden. It can, for example, be paired with shrubby sages (Salvia greigii Royal Bumble), shrubby artemisias, Echinops, Erigeron karvinskianus, lavenders, and other fast-growing plants that will create a beautiful display within 3 or 4 years.