Salvia 'Caradonna'
"Balkan clary"
Orders placed before 1 March 2025
You can expect your order in February/March 2025
Orders placed 1 March - 15 April 2025
You can expect your order in March/April 2025
Orders placed 16 April - 15 May 2025
You can expect your order within 10 business days
UK orders over £50
Free shipping
UK orders under £50
£4.99
Northern Ireland orders under £50
£5.99
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Description
Few ornamental border plants surpass the perennial sages for producing summer-long displays of spiky, nectar-rich flowers. And one of the best—and earliest-to-flower—is Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna', a cultivar of Balkan clary. It produces long spikes of lovely violet-purple. A grouping of several plants will provide you with an eye-catching display of minarets in your border, right through summer.
The flowers are held on purple-black stems, well above the compact mound of pleasantly aromatic, grey-green, textured, oval-to-pointed leaves. Bees and other pollinating insects will love this Salvia. Of course, being a perennial—and a very hardy one, once established—it will give you flowers every year; it dies back to below ground level each autumn, then fresh new growth reappears in spring.
Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' looks spectacular when planted with other plants with plum, pink or smoky purple leaves or flowers, as well as silver-foliaged plants. And it is considered so good as a garden plant, that the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has awarded it a coveted Award of Garden Merit.
The genus name Salvia derives from the Latin word salveo which means “salvation”, “to be in good health”, “to save”, or “to heal”.
Key features
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Perfect for pots
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Comes back every year
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Fragrant
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Attractive to wildlife
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Loved by pollinators
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Thrives well in full sun
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In peat-free compost
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Low maintenance
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RHS Award (AGM)
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Fully hardy
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Rodent resistant
Specs & details
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Botanical name
Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna'
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Flower colour
Purple
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Plant size
1
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Established height
30-50cm
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Established spread
20-30cm
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Plant spacing
9 plants per m2
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Leaf colour
Green
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Habit
Clump-forming
Upright -
Life cycle
Perennial
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Hardiness
Fully hardy
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Years to establish
2-3 years
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Sunlight
Full sun
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Position
Sheltered
Exposed -
Suitable for
Pots
Large containers
Borders
Gravel gardens
Wildlife gardens
Cottage gardens
Low maintenance gardens -
Soil acidity
Any
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Soil moisture
Free draining
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Soil type
Loam
Sandy
Stony
Multipurpose compost
Loam-based compost -
RHS Award (AGM)
Yes
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Growing skill
Easy to grow
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Scented
Yes
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Pollinator-friendly
Yes
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Mouse resistant
Yes
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Rabbit resistant
Yes
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Deer resistant
Yes
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Toxicity
No report
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- Planting
- Flowering
Useful information
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Soak your Salvia 'Caradonna' roots in water for 3-6 hours prior to planting.
Plant your "Balkan clary" bare roots into temporary pots with a multipurpose compost in spring and grow-on in a sheltered spot outdoors.
Choose a pot which comfortably fits the bare roots. Some have a noticeable crown which should be just below the soil surface with any top growth exposed.
Plant out into borders or permanent containers in late spring or early summer once in full growth. Choose a position in sun or shade depending on the variety.
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Orders placed before 1 March 2025
You can expect your order in Feb/March 2025Orders placed 1 March - 15 April 2025
You can expect your order in April 2025Orders placed 16 April - 15 May 2025
You can expect your order within 10 business days
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