Romantic Rose Sage

Salvia ‘Romantic Rose’

Salvia ‘Romantic Rose’ is a marvellous cross between two hardy parents – Salvia involucrata and Salvia karwinskii. With offspring ‘Romantic Rose’ being even more beautiful than either parent but retaining all the hardiness of both.

Flower heads are large, velvety, and showy blends of watermelon and rose pink.
With a prominent white landing strip for the bees in each tubular flower; and a large top knot at the tip.
Native honey eating birds adore Salvia ‘Romantic Rose’, as do bees and other helpful pollinating insects.

‘Romantic Rose’ blooms virtually all year round in frost free situations. With prolific blooming in summer, autumn and on into winter in all areas. Each head continues to open flowers over a long period, with side flowers on the stem as well. Heart shaped, fresh green leaves and dark stems add to the all-round garden value of this hardy garden perennial.

Plant Salvia ‘Romantic Rose’ in full sun in sub-tropical areas, or in dappled light under taller trees and shrubs.
Overhead cover is particularly helpful in frosty areas, and promotes longer winter blooming.
‘Romantic Rose’ happily thrives in summer humidity and heat but does require some overhead shelter in areas with heavy winter frosts.

Salvia ‘Romantic Rose’ is a tall, arching, long stemmed perennial.So it makes a brilliant show as a background in a flower bed, or as an eye-catching feature under trees.

And what is an involucrate Salvia?????

An “involucrate” in botanical talk is a top-knot or a knob at the top of the flower spike.

And it is particularly pronounced and lovely in most hybrids of Salvia involucrata, like Salvia ‘Roamntic Rose’

GROWING: Salvia ‘Romantic Rose’

Height with flowers: 2.2m approx.

Width: 2m. wide approx.  

Bloom Season: ‘Romantic Rose’ blooms virtually all year round, particularly in frost free situations.

Position: Full Sun to part-shade or dappled shade is optimum.
Suits coastal, hot or dry gardens, as well as areas with summer humidity and sub-tropical gardens.

Water: Water wise plant. Drought resistant once established. Can tolerate periods of dry well with minimal additional water assistance.

Frost: Tolerates light frosts to approx. -5C. but some overhead shelter from neighbouring trees or shrubs allows it to grow in more frosty areas. 

Soil: Tolerates a wide range of soils – from acid to neutral pH. But soil must always be well drained. Particularly suited to sandy soils and coastal positions.

Growth: Elegant, arching shrubby perennial.

Care & Maintenance: Easy care, low maintenance.

Pests & Diseases: Rarely troubled by pests or diseases.

Pruning: Salvia ‘Rosemary Rose’ is low maintenance, and only requires a tidy in mid-spring to promote fresh flower stems.
So cut out any old stems and shorten younger stems by 2/3 of their length.

Fertilizer: Do not over-fertilize. Quality fertilizer, such as Powerfeed, can be applied sparingly in spring. This plant is not a heavy feeder.

We recommend to water in with Seasol at planting, and regularly after to enhance resistance against frost, wind and heat. 

Container: Hardy & easy in a large pot. And the long blooming season makes it a particularly good feature pot.  

Bees, Birds & Pollinators: Flowers are very attractive to bees, butterflies, honey eating native birds, and other beneficial pollinators. The long and prolific blooming period means there is abundant nectar for bees and birds, particularly in the colder months.

Rabbits & Deer Resistance: Unlikely to be bothered by either rabbits or deer, as they dislike the taste of the aromatic foliage.

Pet Friendly: No known ill effects for pets.

Quarantine Restriction: None. Salvia ‘Romantic Rose’ can be delivered to all states by Di’s Delightful Plants. One of Australia’s largest on-line mail order nurseries.