Salvia dolomitica Codd
dolomite sage, pilgrim's rest pink sage · dolomietsalie (Afr.)
Neat, hardy, frost-tolerant sage with aromatic leaves and a long spring–summer show of pinkish-lilac flowers.
What’s in the name: Salvia: from the Latin "to heal", for the sages' long medicinal use; dolomitica: "of dolomite", the rock it grows on.
“And still more, later flowers for the bees”
— John Keats, To Autumn – Palgrave, The Golden Treasury (1861), Project Gutenberg
Available from AVNPlants: see the availability list.
Family
Lamiaceae
Conservation status
Least Concern, SANBI Red List of South African Plants
Natural distribution & habitat
Limpopo and Mpumalanga only, on dolomite outcrops (hence dolomitica) at 1 150–1 900 m.
Size & form
Upright, fairly fast-growing shrub 1–2 m.
Flowering
September to February.
Uses in landscaping
- Sunny beds; tolerates light shade
- Waterwise – survives on little water, better with summer watering
Care notes
Well-drained, composted soil in full sun. Cut back hard every year or two to keep it bushy. Easy from seed or cuttings.
Wildlife value
Bee-pollinated.
Find out more
Facts checked against: SANBI PlantZAfrica species page 'Salvia dolomitica'; SANBI Red List of South African Plants, Salvia dolomitica Codd (assessment 2005/11/08).