Embers Wish Salvia Plants

• Variety: Ember's Wish
• Latin name: Salvia Ember's Wish ('Sal 0101')
• Common name: Sage
• Type: Tender, woody-based perennial
• Flower: Fiery orange and coral, in clusters on upright spikes
• Height: To 1m (3ft)
• Spread: To 50cm
• Flowering: July-October
• Hardiness: Tender (H3). Survives a light frost only. Overwinter it under cover
• Pruning: Take off the flower spikes as they fade
• RHS AGM: No
• Sold as: P9 pots, grown on by us in Somerset from licensed young plants. Peat-free compost
• Plant outdoors: From mid-May, once the frosts are over
• Delivered: Year-round, whenever it is in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available
• Collection: Perennial plants

Ember's Wish is a tender salvia with spikes of fiery orange and coral flowers from July to October: a plant for a big pot in full sun, moved under cover for winter.

Salvia Ember's Wish: Orange and Coral Until the Frosts

Ember's Wish is a woody-based salvia that grows to about 1m, with clusters of bright, fiery orange and coral flowers held on upright spikes from mid summer to mid autumn. That is four months of colour from one plant, in a shade that few other perennials offer. It wants light, well-drained soil in full sun and a sheltered place, and once established it shrugs off drought. Take the spent spikes off as they fade and it keeps producing new ones.

It is tender, and there is no use pretending otherwise: the RHS rates it H3, which means a light frost is its limit. The RHS recommends it for patio containers in free-draining compost, overwintered somewhere frost free such as a greenhouse or conservatory, and that is the way to grow it. Treated so, it is a long-lived plant and not an annual expense. In the mildest gardens, against a warm wall, it is worth the gamble outdoors. Anywhere else, give it a pot with wheels.

Your plant may look different on arrival from the description here: salvias are sent out in active growth and, early in the season, before the flower spikes have formed.

Planting Companions

Its stablemate Love and Wishes is a tender salvia of the same kind in a darker shade, and the two together make a rich pot. For a taller, darker partner, Amistad in purple sets the orange alight. In the ground, the white flowers of Whirling Butterflies gaura cool things down, and the lavenders enjoy the same sun and sharp drainage.

Why buy from Ashridge?

Ashridge Nurseries holds the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, earned on customer reviews. Your salvia is grown on in Somerset in peat-free compost, in recycled pots, by the same small team who pack it and answer the telephone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Salvia Ember's Wish hardy?

Salvia Ember's Wish is tender: the RHS rates it H3, so it survives a light frost and no more. Overwinter it somewhere frost free, such as a greenhouse or conservatory.

Does Salvia Ember's Wish grow well in pots?

Salvia Ember's Wish is ideal for a patio container in free-draining compost, which is how the RHS recommends growing it. A pot also makes moving it under cover for winter simple.

How long does Salvia Ember's Wish flower?

Salvia Ember's Wish flowers from mid summer to mid autumn, July to October. Removing the faded spikes keeps new ones coming.

What is the difference between Ember's Wish and Love and Wishes?

Colour is the difference: Ember's Wish is fiery orange and coral, while Love and Wishes is far darker. Both are tender salvias for the same sunny, sheltered place.

Does Salvia Ember's Wish need full sun?

Yes. Full sun, shelter and sharp drainage, and it will do the rest.