Salvia x 'Jezebel' AGM

Baby Sage Lamiaceae

A vigorous, bushy hybrid salvia producing upright stems clothed with aromatic, mid-green foliage and topped with large, brilliant cherry-red to deep red-pink flowers. Flowering over an exceptionally long period from early summer well into autumn, it is a superb plant for sunny borders and containers, while the nectar-rich flowers are highly attractive to bees and other pollinators. 

Breeder & introduction: ‘Jezebel’ was raised and selected by Robin Middleton of Middleton Nurseries. It has subsequently become one of the nursery’s established hybrid salvias and is now distributed through specialist perennial growers. The exact parentage has not been published, so it is best treated simply as a hybrid Salvia rather than assigning speculative species parents. The cultivar is formally listed by the RHS as Salvia ‘Jezebel’ (with ‘Jezabel’ as a synonym). 

Grow in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil, preferably in a sheltered position. It is drought tolerant once established but benefits from moisture during prolonged dry periods. In colder or exposed gardens, protect the crown from severe frost and winter wet. Deadheading encourages continued flowering.

Flowering: June–October
Hardiness: H3, approximately –5 to 1°C
Height: 70–90cm
Spread: 30–60cm