Salvia nutans

Here is a super rare, hardy salvia that looks more like a wisteria than a salvia. Stems reach to 4 feet high and bear dropping purple-blue, wisteria-like flowers all summer long. The basal rosette is attractive with lightly fuzzed leaves that are reminiscent of verbascum. This Balkan native is an elegant, easy to grow plant that deserves a spot in every garden.

Zones: 5(6) to 8
Family: Lamiaceae
Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Height: 18 to 60 in.
Spread: 12 to 24 in.
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil: Well-drained
Bloom Time: June to September
Native Range: Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and possibly Siberia

Image Credits:

• Image 1 (flowers) NativePlanting, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
• Image 2 (flowers) Мавка Лугова, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
• Image 3 (butterfly) Dmitrypyltsov, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
• Image 4 (foliage) Salicyna, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons