Pineapple Sage

Salvia elegans

SAL-vee-uh ELL-eh-ganz

Synonyms of Salvia elegans (8) (Updated on 12-20-23 from Plants of the World Online): Salvia camertonii Regel, Salvia elegans var. sonorensis Fernald, Salvia incarnata Cav., Salvia longiflora Sessé & Moc., Salvia microcalyx Scheele, Salvia microculis Poir., Salvia punicea M.Martens & Galeotti, Salvia rutilans Carrière

Salvia elegans Vahl is the accepted scientific name for this species of Salvia. It was named and described by Martin (Henrichsen) Vahl in Enumeratio Plantarum in 1804.

The genus, Salvia L., was named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

As of 12-20-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 1,018 species in the Salvia genus. It is a member of the plant family Lamiaceae with 232 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

THERE ARE A FEW LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.

I brought this Salvia elegans (Pineapple Sage) home from Wagler’s Greenhouse in the spring of 2015. It turned out to be one of the most AWESOME plants I have grown.

I placed it in the north bed on the right side of the porch not realizing what a showstopper it would become.

Salvia elegans is considered a tender perennial in USDA Zones 8-11, but here it has to be grown as an annual. They work fine in average, well-drained soil and are only fairly drought-tolerant. They do best in fertile, well-drained soil that is consistently moist. I amend the beds every few years with “The Good Stuff” (which is decomposed cow manure and hay from where I feed the cows that has decomposed for a year or so).

USEFUL INFORMATION:
Family: Lamiaceae.
Origin: Mexico.
Zones: USDA Zones 8a-11 (10 to 40° F/-12.2 to 4.5° F).
Size: 36 to 48” tall x 24-36 PLUS” wide.
Light: Prefers full sun but likes afternoon shade in the heat of the summer.
Soil: Average, well-drained.
Water: Average. Drought tolerant once established but prefers regular watering.

Where the Salvia elegans are perennial, they spread by underground rhizomes. Some information online says plants can be cut back and potted to overwinter inside. You can also take cuttings in late summer to overwinter inside. They can be grown as a container plant which makes it easier to bring inside for the winter. If you take cuttings to overwinter, you may want to just root them in pots instead of having to dig them up to pot later.

The edible leaves have a pineapple scent and can be used in a number of recipes. Although this plant is fairly late to flower, the lush growth makes a nice-looking plant before flowers appear. Salvia elegans is a multi-branched plant that will grow approximately 36-48” wide plus. You can pinch plants at a young age to make them bush out more for a denser, stronger growth habit. This may help in windy areas as the wind can damage plants.

The red flowers are also edible and favored by hummingbirds and butterflies. It is interesting to note that Salvia elegans are “short-day” plants so they may not flower where street or yard lights are present.

The Salvia elegans needs regular watering and the leaves will curl up and drop off if they don’t have enough.

There are several cultivars of Pineapple Sage available (even with gold leaves). Although they can also be grown from seed, it is more advisable to buy plants in the spring and set out after the last frost date.

Every year since I grew this plant I look for new plants at the local greenhouses but so far none have been available. I may have to buy seeds and try or order plants online. Overwintering plants inside is not an option because I don’t have adequate conditions at the moment.

I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. I would like to hear from you if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
DAVE’S GARDEN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
FLORIDATA
PFAF (PLANTS FOR A FUTURE)