The 18 Top Salvia Picks For Stunning Container Gardens

Salvias are such popular plants that can turn any garden into a floral paradise that's buzzing with bees and other pollinators. What's more, they're also great for adding to container gardens as a simple way to transform your patio with flowers and plants. As there are about 900 species of salvias, with hundreds more hybrids, how do you select ones to grow in your own container garden? To make your choice a little easier, you might like to focus just on varieties in a certain color that matches the rest of your garden or one that adds some exciting contrast. Or, you might want to base your selection on how high each variety can grow to add a bit of structural elegance to your yard.

No matter which salvia takes your fancy, make sure you choose a container that's large enough to accommodate the growth of the plant and ensure it has plenty of drainage holes. Use a quality potting mix so that your plants will thrive. Ideally, a potting medium that has slow-release fertilizer added to it will keep your gorgeous plants growing lush right through summer. Don't forget that the soil in containers does dry out quickly, so even though salvias are drought-tolerant, you still want to ensure that you provide them with adequate amounts of water. Some of the top salvia picks for stunning container gardens include clary sage, gentian sage, autumn sage, and Japanese yellow sage, just to name a few.

For some exceptional floral beauty, clary sage (Salvia sclarea) will also add a sweet fragrance to your container garden. This attractive species will grow to a height of 4 feet with a spread of around 3 feet, which means that you might want to grow it in a large rectangular pot so you can fully enjoy its glory. It has large gray-green leaves that emit a musky scent when crushed. Clary sage grows best in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9, as it's not fond of high humidity or extreme heat.

If you want to add some crisp white to your container garden, this pretty salvia (Salvia verticillata 'Alba') would be an excellent choice. This one only grows to a height of 24 inches, so it would suit any large pot and make a statement among your other plants. It will grow in zones 5 through 8, and its arching flower stems will attract plenty of pollinators like butterflies, bees, and even hummingbirds. If you deadhead the spent blooms, the plant should reward you with more of those stunning flowers. 

To add a bright pop of color, you might like this bright pink salvia (Salvia 'Back to the Fuchsia'), which grows to a height of 24 inches and is hardy in zones 3 through 8. The bright flowers make a stunning contrast to the dark green leaves, which are scented, and this variety is a prolific bloomer. The spent flowers can be deadheaded to encourage more blooms, which will keep the pollinators flocking to your yard. You'll find this is one of those summer-blooming perennials perfect for a colorful garden.

If part of your container growing area only receives morning sun and is shaded in the afternoon, then this whimsical salvia (Salvia glabrescens 'Elk Yellow & Purple') would be ideal. The flowers in this hybrid are truly unique. They're a pale yellow color with bright purple spots. This plant grows to a height of 18 inches and will grow happily in zones 5 through 8. This is definitely a variety to keep an eye out for if you're a plant collector.

This delightful, bright pink salvia (Salvia greggii 'Diane') will thrive in that sunny part of your container garden. Because it loves the heat, it's happiest when grown in zones 7 through 9 and will reach a height of 18 inches. You'll find this hybrid blooms best in late spring and again in the fall, which is ideal if you're trying to attract hummingbirds to your yard during their migration periods. As this is a perennial shrub form, you'll want to trim the plant back by about half in late winter. 

If you simply adore pink blooms, you'll love this salvia hybrid from Proven Winners. Salvia nemorosa 'Pink Profusion' is a fairly compact perennial, growing to a height of 16 inches. It will enjoy a sunny spot and thrives in zones 3 through 8. This plant will delight you with its profusion of dark pink blooms, and if you deadhead the spent ones, you'll get plenty more right through summer. In general, salvias are one of those flowering plants you should always deadhead for maximum blooms.

Your container garden will come alive with the vibrant purple shades of this gorgeous salvia. Salvia leucantha 'Santa Barbara' is a dwarf form of regular Mexican sage, only reaching a height of 24 inches. It grows exceptionally well in zones 8 through 10 but can be grown as an annual elsewhere during the warmer months. You'll find this hybrid has an extended blooming season from spring through fall and will attract lots of pollinators to your yard.

You'll adore the striking two-toned flowers on this bright salvia (Salvia 'Hot Lips'). When grown in zones 7 through 10, this hardy plant will provide you with hummingbird-attracting blooms almost all year round. It grows to a height of around 30 inches but will form a clump that can spread to 6 feet if given the space. This means that you might want to grow it in a large rectangular planter so it has room to spread. You'll want to prune this perennial back hard in late winter to encourage lots of new growth.

If you want an outstanding salvia that you can use for cut flowers, then you'll love Salvia 'Mystic Spires' with its 14-inch purple flower spikes. Although this hybrid can reach a maximum height of 4 feet, the clumps are only 30 inches wide, making it perfect for large round or square containers. This variety is perennial in zones 7 through 10, and it will thrive in full sun or even part shade. In winter, you can cut this back to around 8 inches tall, thus rewarding you with lots of fresh growth in spring.

For a variety with delicate blooms in pastel colors of peach and yellow, you might like to try Salvia x jamensis 'Sierra San Antonio,' which is a compact hybrid only growing to a height and width of 30 inches. It grows well in zones 7 through 11, and you'll love its upright growth habit. The flowers start to appear in midsummer and will continue until the first frost. Deadhead the spent blooms to encourage more. 

Autumn sage 'Mirage Cherry Red' (Salvia greggii 'Mirage Cherry Red') has the most stunning and vivid red blooms that will add some vibrancy to your container garden. This hybrid reaches a maximum height of 16 inches and is hardy in zones 7 through 9. It grows into a compact and woody shrub with small leaves that are fragrant. You can enjoy those outstanding blooms from spring through fall. 'Mirage Cherry Red' is best grown in full sun, and it's important that the pot you select has good drainage. 

Gentian sage (Salvia patens) is perfect for growing in a container because it only grows to a height and spread of around 2 feet. It has the most delicate blue flowers that will add a different spot of color to your potted garden. Gentian sage will grow happily in zones 8 through 10 as a perennial, but you can grow it as an annual in other regions. It prefers a sunny position and will bloom continuously from spring to fall, especially if you deadhead the spent flowers. 

Want to add a touch of royal purple to your potted garden? Salvia 'Amistad' will delight you with masses of stunning tubular purple flowers from spring through fall. These appear on 10-inch-tall spikes that would be perfect for cutting. You can grow this variety as a perennial in zones 8 through 10 or as an annual elsewhere. The pollinators and hummingbirds will flock to your garden when they discover the delicious aroma emitted by this easy-to-grow plant. 

Another stunning red variety with tubular blooms is Salvia microphylla 'San Carlos Festival,' which can reach a height of 24 inches and a slightly larger spread of 36 inches. You can grow it as a perennial in zones 7 through 9. Hummingbirds will love the clusters of flowers at the tips of the stems, which are quite prolific and will keep blooming for around five to six months of the year. 

For stunning impact, you may want to add true Jerusalem sage (Salvia hierosolymitana). This rather compact species has quite a distinctive growth habit in that the large leaves form a low-growing rosette, and the 2-foot-tall, branched flower stems emerge from the center. The unusual bi-color, claw-shaped flowers are particularly good at attracting large bees to your yard. You can grow this interesting species in zones 7 through 10, in either full sun or part shade. 

You'll adore the color subtleties in this gorgeous salvia hybrid ('Love and Wishes'). The bright pink flowers are highlighted by the dark purple calyces and stand out above the bright green leaves. This hybrid has a height and spread of around 3 feet, making it a worthwhile addition to your container garden. Grow it as a perennial in zones 9 through 11, or plant annuals in colder areas. You'll be rewarded with these colorful blooms from spring right through into the fall, and they'll certainly attract plenty of pollinators.

The vibrant purple flowers of autumn sage (Salvia greggii 'Mes Azur') will make you smile when you grow this hybrid in your container garden. This beauty has a relatively compact growth habit, reaching a maximum height and spread of 24 inches. It does well in zones 7 through 11, and will happily grow in full sun or even part shade. Autumn sage will certainly add a splash of color to your yard while drawing in the pollinators at the same time.

For something completely different, you might like to grow Japanese yellow sage (Salvia koyamae) with its delicate yellow flowers, not often seen in sage varieties. This species is ideal for those who are looking to add a bit of color to a shaded part of their potted garden. It can be grown in zones 4 through 10 and will reach a height of 24 inches. The large leaves are a little similar to hostas, making this the perfect match if you have a container garden situated under the shade of taller trees.