Blue Hill Meadow Sage

Blue Hill Meadow Sage (Salvia x sylvestris 'Blue Hill')

Blue Hill Meadow Sage brings clear blue flower spikes that add crisp structure and long-season color to sunny beds. It blooms heavily in late spring and early summer, and a quick cutback can encourage repeat flowering to keep borders looking fresh. The tidy, clumping habit stays neat and easy to place, making it simple to create a polished, designed look without extra work. Pollinators show up fast, so you get both color and garden activity in one dependable plant.

Distinctive Features

This meadow sage produces dense, upright spires of violet-blue to blue flowers held above aromatic gray-green foliage, creating strong vertical lines that read well from a distance. It forms a compact, bushy clump that holds its shape and resists flopping, especially in full sun with good drainage. Bloom typically begins in May to June, and grooming after the first flush helps extend the season with additional spikes. Mature size is commonly about 18 to 24 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun is best for sturdy stems and maximum flowering, with light shade tolerated.
• Soil: Well-drained soil is essential, and it performs well in average garden soils when drainage is good.
• Water: Provide dry to medium moisture, watering regularly to establish and then during extended drought.
• USDA Zones: Hardy in zones 4 to 8.
• Mature Size: About 18 to 24 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Plant a small grouping as a focal point where the blue spikes can anchor a sunny bed from late spring into summer.
• Border Structure: Use in the front to middle of borders to add clean vertical lines and keep mixed plantings from looking flat.
• Mass Planting: Repeat in drifts for a unified band of blue that ties multiple garden areas together.
• Pollinator Gardens: Include where you want consistent bee and butterfly activity during the main bloom window.
• Cutting Gardens: Grow for fresh stems that add cool blue color and clean form to simple bouquets.

Low Maintenance Care

• Shearing: Shear back after the first heavy bloom to encourage rebloom and a tighter, cleaner clump.
• Deadheading: Remove spent spikes as needed to extend flowering and keep the plant looking fresh.
• Watering: Deep water during extended drought, especially in the first season and in hot, exposed sites.
• Fertilizing: Feed lightly in spring, since overly rich soil can reduce flowering and soften growth.
• Spring Cleanup: Cut back old stems in early spring to make room for clean new growth.

Why Choose Blue Hill Meadow Sage?

• Early Blue Color: Brings a strong blue note early in the season when many perennials are just getting started.
• Repeat Bloom: A quick midseason cutback helps deliver a second flush of flower spikes.
• Tidy Habit: Compact, clump-forming growth stays neat and easy to place in residential borders.
• Pollinator Value: Flower spikes support bees and butterflies through peak bloom periods.
• Low Fuss Performance: Reliable flowering and simple grooming make it an easy, high-return garden staple.

Blue Hill Meadow Sage is an easy way to add structure, long-season color, and pollinator value without creating extra work. Give it sun, good drainage, and a midseason shear, and it will keep producing fresh spikes that lift the whole planting. Repeated along a walkway or border edge, it creates a clean, confident rhythm that makes the garden feel finished.