Salvia ‘Caradonna’

* Common name: Sage ‘Caradonna’  

* Botanical name: Salvia nemerosa ‘Caradonna’

* What it is: A sun-loving, drought-tough perennial flower with long-lasting blue-violet flower spikes from late April into June. Attracts hummingbirds, but deer don’t like it. Won a 2017 Gold Medal Award from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

* Size: 24 to 30 inches tall. Plant 2 feet apart.

* Where to use: Perennial borders, sunny foundations, rock gardens and any hot, sunny spot. Mixes well with many other perennials or can be grouped in a mass by itself for impact.

* Care: Fertilize in early spring with a granular, organic or long-acting flower fertilizer. Snip off flower stalks to the ground after bloom and plants usually will bloom again in late summer. Cut foliage to ground after frost kills it in fall or in early spring before new growth begins.

* Great partner: Most any rose or ornamental grass pairs well with ‘Caradonna.’ Pink dianthus is a shorter sun-loving perennial that blooms at the same time.