Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman'
Winifred Gillman Blue Sage
Description
The ' Winifred Gillman' Sage is a dense, compact sub-shrub that grows to 5' tall and wide, and has a round form. It has blue flowers in spikes above the foliage in the spring and summer. This sub-shrub is native to California and is drought tolerant.
Maintenance Tips
Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman' is a hybrid of the California native Cleveland Sage. This is probably the most aromatic hybrid of these native woody sages. This variety can grow into a dome shape 5' tall and wide. The tall flower stalks emerge in the spring and are very attractive to hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. It performs best in a sunny location with the space to reach its full mature size. Once the flowers have faded, the spent stalks can be deadheaded to keep the shrub looking tidy and encourage additional flowers. Woody shrubs tend to become dense with lots of cross-branching, so thinning out the branching and allowing sunlight to the interior will benefit the plant and will encourage new, green growth. This shrub can take more aggressive hedging, cutting back by about a third in the winter to keep the nice dome shape.