Golden Delicious Pineapple Sage
Salvia elegans 'Golden Delicious'
Height: 3 feet
Spacing: 24 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 8a
Other Names: Ornamental Sage
Description:
A standout variety with bright golden yellow foliage to add color; contrasting bright red blooms add dazzle to an already beautiful addition to borders or containers; dense and bushy
Ornamental Features
Golden Delicious Pineapple Sage has masses of beautiful spikes of red tubular flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to early fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive fragrant pointy leaves remain gold in color throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
Golden Delicious Pineapple Sage is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Golden Delicious Pineapple Sage is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Planting & Growing
Golden Delicious Pineapple Sage will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 24 inches apart. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
Golden Delicious Pineapple Sage is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.