perennial
Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'
Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' is a fast-growing perennial for gardens in zones 7–10. Expect 3–5 ft of height and 2–3 ft of spread; our lists space it 2.5 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part shade with average water. Expect blue flowers in June to October. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the filler role: a flowering plant that fills the middle or front of the bed. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'
- Plant type
- Perennial, herbaceous
- Hardiness zones
- 7 to 10
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained soil.
- Mature size
- 3–5 ft tall × 2–3 ft wide
- Spacing
- 2.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Jun–Oct · blue
- Roles in a bed
- Filler
- Styles
- cottage, modern
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Salvias are not on the ASPCA toxic list.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $12–$20 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season; keep soil evenly moist, not soggy.
- Pruning
- Cut to the ground in late winter; mulch the crown in zone 7.
Sources: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List (from general knowledge; not re-checked unless verification is web-checked); Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder and grower tags; State extension service guidance and USDA PLANTS distribution maps; Rutgers NJAES Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States and state noxious weed lists; Typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box retail listings (estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 8 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 7 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
- Cottage garden plants for a sunny bed in zone 8
- Modern planting for a sunny bed in zone 7 (as a substitute)
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9, Florida
- Deer-resistant full-sun plants for zone 7, Southeast (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Mexican bush sageSalvia leucanthaperennial · zones 8–11
- Weeping redbud 'Ruby Falls'Cercis canadensis 'Ruby Falls'small tree · zones 5–9
- Pink muhly grassMuhlenbergia capillarisornamental grass · zones 6–11
- Variegated lilyturf 'Variegata'Liriope muscari 'Variegata'perennial · zones 6–10
- Chinese fringe flower 'Purple Diamond'Loropetalum chinense 'Shang-hi'shrub · zones 7–10
- Japanese sedge 'Evergold'Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'ornamental grass · zones 5–9
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue': same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
- Tropical sageSalvia coccineazones 8–11 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert'Anemone × hybrida 'Honorine Jobert'zones 4–8 · flagged toxic to pets
- Turk's capMalvaviscus arboreus var. drummondiizones 8–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Mexican bush sageSalvia leucanthazones 8–11 · not flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants