Overview of Blue Anise Sage
There are about 900 species of annuals, perennials and soft-wooded evergreen shrubs in the genus Salvia (the largest genus in the mint family, Family Lamiaceae), including many species used as culinary and medicinal herbs and as ornamentals. Blue anise sage, Salvia guaranitica (also called anise-scented sage, Brazilian sage, giant blue sage, and sapphire sage) is native to southern South America (Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and north eastern Argentina) where its leaves were used by the Guarani Indians of Brazil as a sedative. This attractive tender subshrub is hardy in zones 8a to 10b, but it can be grown as an annual in cold climates.
The plants can grow up to 6 feet tall where it is a perennial but remains much shorter when grown as an annual. The pointed oval leaves are 2 to 5 inches long and lightly sweet-scented. Despite the common name, the leaves do not smell like anise. Leaves are slightly toothed, hairy, and are borne in opposite pairs on the branched, square dark green stems. The leaves are dark green, wrinkled above and pale green below. The plants have a loose, bushy, rather open form. Plants sucker lightly and may form tubers.
The striking flowers are 1½ to 2 inches long, with purple to true blue petals surrounded by a green calyx. The petals form a hood-like upper lip and a shorter, downward pointing lower lip, sort of resembling an open parrot’s beak or snake’s mouth, around whisker-like stamens. The flowers are produced in showy spikes up to 10 inches long. The open racemes can be both axillary and terminal.
The plant blooms from mid to late summer until frost. The nectar-producing blossoms are very attractive to hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Many of the bees are nectar robbers, chewing or drilling holes through the calyx to get to the nectar directly, without entering the flower and contacting the reproductive organs for pollination. Honeybees tend to be “secondary robbers,” collecting nectar through holes made by previous visitors, such as bumblebees.
Landscape Use of Blue Anise Sage
Grow blue anise sage in full sun. It will survive in partial shade but will be gangly and floppy with fewer flowers. It does best in fertile, well-drained soil. Once established, plants are tolerant of both heat and drought.
Pinching regularly can help to keep plants full and compact. Fertilize container-grown plants monthly. In the landscape, little additional fertilizer is needed, and over fertilizing will reduce flower production and produce taller, more brittle stems. Deadhead the flowers as they fade to encourage continued blooming. This species has few pests, especially when grown as an annual, but may suffer from powdery mildew or whiteflies. Deer generally do not feed on blue anise sage.
Blue anise sage is a good addition to annual or mixed beds. It also does well in containers.
Propagating Blue Anise Sage
The species can be grown from seed but named cultivars are propagated from cuttings or by division in spring in areas where the plants are hardy. Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the average last frost and transplant outdoors when the soil has warmed and after all threat of frost is past.
Softwood cuttings can be taken in spring or semi-hardwood cuttings taken in late summer or fall. Although cuttings are fairly easy to root even without rooting hormones, bottom heat enhances the results.
Potted plants can be held over the winter in a bright, cool location. The tubers can also be harvested and stored in a cool location (35 to 40 °F) similar to dahlia tubers. Dig in early autumn, leaving some soil around the root ball and store in a cool, dark location. The stem, stolons or rhizomes with nodes attached (as there are no eyes on the tubers that will sprout) need to be kept from drying out. Avoid too much moisture, which promotes rot. When growth starts again in early spring, move to a bright, warm spot.
Cultivars of Blue Anise Sage
Several cultivars offer flowers in different shades:
- ‘Argentina Skies’ is a vegetative selection with sky blue flowers with green calyxes. The plants produce large tubers and many stolons and grows about 5 feet tall.
- ‘Black and Bloom’ is a patented (US PP 27,183), vegetative variety with dark green, wrinkled leaves and dark violet-blue flowers with dark purple calyxes. that grows 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. It was developed from a cross of ‘Costa Rica Blue’ and ‘Black and Blue.’
- ‘Black and Blue’ has striking cobalt blue petals with nearly black calyxes and very dark stems. It is more compact (growing 2½ to 3½ feet) than the species or many other varieties. It goes dormant in mild climates and readily produces tubers.
- ‘Blue Ensign’ has large medium blue flowers and grows 3½ to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide.
- ‘Costa Rica Blue’ blooms year-round in mild climates, with heaviest bloom from autumn into winter. It has dark violet-blue flowers and yellow-green calyxes on plants that grow 4 to 6 feet tall and wide.
- ‘Omaha’ (sometimes listed as ‘Omaha Gold’) is a variegated form of ‘Costa Rica’ with yellow and green leaves. Leaf color fades in warm night conditions.
- ‘Purple Majesty’ is a hybrid of S. guaranitica and S. gesneraeflora from Huntington Botanical Gardens. It grows to 4 feet tall and wide, with bright green leaves, and large purple flowers with dark purple calyxes.
- ‘Purple & Bloom’ (US PP 32.027) grows 3½ to 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide with very dark, rich purple flowers with very dark calyxes.
Author: Susan Mahr, University of Wisconsin—Madison
Reviewers: Bruce Spangenberg, Horticulture Outreach Specialist, Allen R. Pyle, Horticulture Outreach Specialist, UW—Madison Extension
Revised: May 2026
