Caradonna Meadow Sage

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

1 Foot

Mature Spread

1 Foot

Growing Zones

4 to 8

Masses of flower spikes rise above fragrant foliage on the Caradonna meadow sage to draw eyes and pollinators to the landscape. The violet-purple flowers appear starting in June with the display lasting into July and this plant reblooms with proper pruning. Even the stems of the Caradonna meadow sage, a cultivar of Salvia, are an attractive glowing purple color. In the right light, the stems even look blackish. 

This deer and rabbit resistant plant is well suited for a tough site with heat and dryness that would challenge other plants. Use it for great effect in a butterfly or pollinator garden. Combine it with ornamental grasses or perennial Geranium, Coreopsis, or Monarda that will flower during the same time to create an attractive display or include in a cut flower garden. A tolerance for salt also makes it ideal for rock gardens or along driveways.

Caradonna Meadow Sage Care

Excess water or fertilizer or a site with too much shade can cause the Caradonna meadow sage to become floppy. Choose a spot that gets full sun. This salvia tolerates drought and dry soils, but plan to water weekly until this plant gets established, then during extended hot, dry spells. Fertilize it annually in early spring with a slow-release fertilizer. 

Shear this plant just as its first bloom period is ending to encourage new growth of foliage and a second bloom. Trim plants back to remove all of the flower stalks. Cut the sage back to just above ground level in early spring. 

Caradonna Meadow Sage Spacing

This salvia grows one foot to a foot and a half tall with a similar spread. Space plants about a foot apart in a mass planting or give each at least two feet of space in a garden where you want each recognizable as a specimen.