Plant Library

Brand:  Hort Couture

Description:

An attractive, upright perennial shrub that is relatively pest and disease free; spires of lavender pink flowers above striking variegated foliage; excellent for mixed containers, indoors or out; a tidy garden shrub in frost free zones

Ornamental Features

Candy Kisses Wild Sage features delicate spikes of lavender pea-like flowers with pink overtones rising above the foliage from mid winter to late fall. It has attractive dark green foliage edged in creamy white which emerges chartreuse in spring. The textured oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. The burgundy stems are very effective and add winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Candy Kisses Wild Sage is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Candy Kisses Wild Sage is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Candy Kisses Wild Sage will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Candy Kisses Wild Sage makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.