Salvia indica

A reasonably hardy perennial species from the middle East, not from India as the name might suggest, this flowers from mid-May for about 5 weeks. A striking addition to the Spring border, this is a compact plant with basal foliage, and the flower spikes reach up to 2 ft. The flowers are uniquely coloured, lilac upper lips, and dramatically spotted lower lips on a white background. Seed collected after flowering should be sown in August to provide flowering plants the following Spring.