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Salvia elegans - Vahl.

Common Name Pineapple Sage, Pineapple-scented Sage,
Family Lamiaceae or Labiatae
USDA hardiness 8-11
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Large naturalized clumps are found at woodland peripheries in the Sierra Madre from 6,000 to 9,000 feet in elevation.
Range Southern N. America - Mexico to Guatemala.
Edibility Rating    (3 of 5)
Other Uses    (2 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (1 of 5)
Care (info)
Frost Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun
Salvia elegans Pineapple Sage, Pineapple-scented Sage,


http://www.kurtstueber.de/
Salvia elegans Pineapple Sage, Pineapple-scented Sage,
biolib.de

 

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Summary

Bloom Color: Red. Main Bloom Time: Late summer. Form: Irregular or sprawling.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Salvia elegans is an evergreen Perennial growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a medium rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from March to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Plant Habitats

 Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts:
Edible Uses: Condiment

The leaves have a pleasant scent of pineapple and can be used fresh or dried as a flavouring[238]. They are added to cold drinks and fruit salads, fresh leaves can be placed under sponge cake mixtures to give a subtle scent, whilst the fresh or dried leaves can be added to savoury dishes to give a sausage-like flavour[238, K]. Edible flowers.

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


Pineapple sage tea has been used to calm nerves, and it aids in digestion.

References   More on Medicinal Uses

The Bookshop: Edible Plant Books

Our Latest books on Perennial Plants For Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens in paperback or digital formats.

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Other Uses

Ornamental. Landscape Uses: Border, Container, Massing, Seashore. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Tolerates Deer. Dried leaves may be added to potpourris.

Special Uses

Attracts Wildlife  Food Forest  Scented Plants

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a warm sunny position[200]. Prefers a rich soil[1]. Plants can be killed by excessive winter wet[200]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[200]. The top growth will be cut back to the ground in cold winters but, if the roots are given a good mulch in the autumn, plants will often survive the winter outdoors and resprout freely from the base in the spring[200]. There are some named varieties. 'Scarlet Pineapple' has leaves with a pineapple-like scent[238]. The flowers are very attractive to bees, providing a good source of nectar[61]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233]. Special Features:Attracts birds, North American native, Edible, Fragrant foliage, Attracts butterflies, Suitable for cut flowers.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

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The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

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Plant Propagation

Seed - sow March/April in a greenhouse[200]. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer. In areas where the plant is towards the limits of its hardiness, it is best to grow the plants on in a greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood succeed at almost any time in the growing season[200].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Tangerine sage

Native Range

NORTHERN AMERICA: Mexico, Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, México, Michoacán de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave,

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Cistus salviifoliusRock Rose, Salvia cistus, Sage Leaf Rock RoseShrub0.6 8-11 FLMNDM103
Salvia apianaWhite Sage, Compact white sagePerennial3.0 7-10  LMNDM312
Salvia ballotaeflora Annual0.0 -  LMNDM10 
Salvia carduaceaThistle SageAnnual/Perennial0.7 7-10  LMNDM20 
Salvia carnosaPurple SageShrub0.8 6-9  LMNDM12 
Salvia clevelandiiBlue Sage, Fragrant sage, Chaparral SageShrub0.6 8-11 MLMNDM10 
Salvia columbariaeChia, Ziegler's sageAnnual/Perennial0.7 6-9  LMNDM32 
Salvia dorisianaSage Fruity PineapplePerennial1.3 9-12 FLMHSNM303
Salvia fruticosaGreek Sage, Greek oreganoShrub1.0 8-11  LMNDM232
Salvia glabrescens Perennial0.3 -  LMSNDM10 
Salvia glutinosaJupiter's Distaff, Sticky SagePerennial1.2 4-8  LMSNDM103
Salvia hispanicaMexican Chia, ChiaAnnual1.0 8-11  LMNDM30 
Salvia japonica Perennial0.8 7-10  LMSNDM102
Salvia lanata Perennial0.3 6-9  LMNDM11 
Salvia lanigeraWrinkle-Leaved SageShrub0.0 -  LMNDM10 
Salvia lavandulifoliaSpanish SageShrub0.3 4-8  LMNDM232
Salvia leucanthaMexican Bush SageShrub1.2 8-10 FLMHNM013
Salvia lyrataCancer Weed, Lyreleaf SagePerennial0.6 4-9 MLMNDM020
Salvia melliferaCalifornian Black SageShrub2.0 7-10  LMNDM12 
Salvia microphyllaBlackcurrant SagePerennial1.2 7-10  LMNDM22 
Salvia moorcroftiana Perennial0.9 6-9  LMNDM11 
Salvia multicaulis Shrub0.3 7-10  LMNDM10 
Salvia multiorrhizaDan ShenPerennial0.6 5-9  LMNDM03 
Salvia officinalisSage, Kitchen sage, Small Leaf Sage, Garden SageShrub0.6 5-10 MLMNDM455
Salvia plebeia Biennial0.5 -  LMNMWe11 
Salvia pomiferaApple SageShrub1.0 7-10  LMNDM22 
Salvia pratensisMeadow Clary, Introduced sagePerennial1.0 3-7  LMNDM100
Salvia reflexaMintweed, Lanceleaf sageAnnual0.8 0-0  LMNDM100
Salvia sclareaClary, Europe sage, Clary SageBiennial/Perennial1.0 5-9 MLMHNDM223
12

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

Vahl.

Botanical References

200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

Miss D   Thu Feb 19 2009

Pinapple sage is traditionally used in Mexican herbal medicine as an anxiolytic (anxiety reducing substance). Although there is no conclusive evidence to support these effects in humans, antidepressant and anxiolytic properties have been demonstrated in mice [Herrera-Ruiza, Maribel; Yolanda García-Beltrána, Sergio Morab, Gabriela Díaz-Vélizb, Glauce S.B. Vianac, Jaime Tortorielloa, Guillermo Ramíreza (Aug. 2006). "Antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of hydroalcoholic extract from Salvia elegans". Journal of Ethnopharmacology 107 (1)].

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