Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Big Sky Salvia: Violet-Blue Spires That Stretch the Lavender Season
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Big Sky salvia is a perennial salvia built on a larger scale than most. It grows into a full, rounded clump about 2½ feet tall and wide, with tall, heavily branched stems of violet-blue flowers rising from a thick rosette of big, crinkled green leaves. Plenty of side branching keeps new spikes coming, so the show lasts.
If lavender had a bigger, faster-growing cousin who showed up early to help with chores, it would look a lot like this.
Big Sky at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Salvia 'Big Sky' |
| Flowers | Violet-blue florets in purplish calyxes on tall, branched spikes |
| Foliage | Large, mid-green, crinkled basal rosette |
| Size | 28 to 32 inches tall and wide |
| Bloom | Early to late June, repeat bloom after deadheading |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 8 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Wildlife | Excellent for pollinators; deer resistant |
Why it works with lavender
Salvia and lavender are both members of the mint family, and they want the same things: full sun, lean soil and no wet feet. Big Sky's upright spikes echo lavender's shape, so the two look related rather than random. The difference is scale. Big Sky's spires are taller and its leaves bigger, which gives a lavender bed some weight in the middle or back.
Its timing is useful too. Big Sky opens in early June, often a little ahead of English lavender, and with a cut-back it sends up a second round after the lavender's main flush. That fills the gaps on both sides of peak lavender. Because it grows fast and fills space quickly, it is a good choice for larger borders and mass plantings.
Planting and care
- Site: full, hot sun for the best flowering.
- Soil: average and well drained. Wet, heavy soil in winter is the main cause of loss.
- Water: regularly the first season, then sparingly; it is very drought tolerant once established.
- Deadheading: after the first flush, cut spent spikes back to the leafy base to encourage side branches.
- Winter: leave stems standing or cut back in fall, then tidy old growth in spring as new leaves appear.
The leaves have a mild, sage-like scent when brushed, though Big Sky is ornamental and not a culinary sage.
Plug tray or bare root
Big Sky is offered as a 72-cell plug tray for growers, landscapers and big drifts, and as a bare root plant for home gardeners adding a few clumps to a border. See each product page for current availability, and the Wholesale Hub for tray orders.
Frequently asked questions
How is Big Sky different from other perennial salvias?
It is larger and more vigorous than typical perennial salvias, with tall, branched spikes over a big basal rosette.
Can I cook with it?
No. It is an ornamental salvia, not a culinary sage.
Is it good for cut flowers?
Yes. Its spikes are rated good for cutting and mix well with lavender stems.
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