Salvia 'Madeline' PP#20,456

A charming new addition to the huge Sage family, 'Madeline' arose as a chance open-pollinated seedling in a Dutch field of S. hians, and was immediately admired for its compact, free-flowering nature, its brilliant blue-and-white colors, and its excellent ability to stand its ground in rainy or windy conditions. You will find it beautiful in early summer, and if you deadhead it right after flowering, it may thank you with a lush late-season rebloom!

These flowers are violet-blue above a white lower segment that is edged in violet-blue. Very abundantly borne, they arise on well-branched, dark brown stems that are self-supporting. Deer, rabbits, and other nibbling creatures tend to leave them alone, but butterflies and hummingbirds are constant guests!

The blooms are set above slender, bright green leaves that can reach 7 inches in length. Altogether, the flower stems are about 2 feet high, on plants that can reach 32 inches tall in full bloom. Just 20 inches wide, they are a good choice for containers as well as the sunny garden border.

The key to success with 'Madeline' is full sunshine and very well-drained soil. This is not a plant to tolerate a half-day of shade or struggle through heavy clay. But given these two conditions, the rest is easy!

'Madeline' was discovered by master plant breeder and garden designer Piet Oudolf, who introduced it in 2009 after a decade of careful propagating and trialing. Its colors are so rich, its habit so neat, that you will find yourself making excuses to walk past and admire it every day during its early-summer reign. We're delighted to make it available this season, and we heartily recommend it for garden and container alike. Zones 4-8.