Tropical Delights with pineapple sage - gardening - Brief Article

Flower & Garden Magazine, July, 2001 by Kris Wetherbee

You know how there are some aromas that just naturally cool you down on a sweltering summer day? Take the refreshing scent of juicy, sweet pineapple. Okay, so it's practically impossible to grow pineapple in most gardens throughout the country, but almost anyone can grow this exotic pineapple-flavored herb. * Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) is a master imitator when it comes to true pineapple fragrance. A member of the genus Salvia, it has been grown in gardens for more than 125 years. It seems only fitting that a plant this unique should come from a family with more than 900 species worldwide. The Salvia family is also unique among plants, offering tremendous diversity in form, color, texture and fragrance. * The sages are native to the Mediterranean, parts of Southern Europe, Asia Minor, Central and South America. Although for me, one whiff of the intoxicatingly delicious pineapple-scented foliage brings refreshing visions of a tropical paradise right in my own backyard. Pineapple sage is a tender perennial (Zone 8) that can also be grown most anywhere as an annual. Here in my Pacific Northwest USDA Zone 7B climate, temperatures seldom go below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, so my three plants usually make it through winter to resprout new leaves in late spring. (The plants die back to the ground in the winter.) Cut back the plant in late fall, and cover the area with a thick mulch for added winter protection.

Pineapple sage makes a stunning addition to any flower, herb or vegetable bed, forming a large clump of brilliant green, slightly hairy leaves from three to five feet tall. The vivid red, trumpet-shaped flower spikes are a visual delight as well, blooming in late summer until the first frost. The flowers are also rich in nectar, attracting hummingbirds, butterflies and humans alike. `Freida Dixon' is a cultivar similar in every respect except the flowers are a soft salmon-red.

Plants thrive in full sun and rich, well-drained soil but will often appreciate some shade in hot summer areas. Keep in mind that the better your soil is drained, the better chance your plants will make it through the winter. Sages as a group benefit from a fair amount of nitrogen, even more so for pineapple sage which seems to need a bit more nitrogen and water than most other species of sage.

Even if pineapple sage won't make it through the winter in your garden, you can grow it as an attractive, fast-growing annual. It also does well as a potted plant, often blooming throughout winter in a warm, sunny spot of a greenhouse or sunroom. Don't have an area that big? Then try growing creeping pineapple sage with smaller leaves and sprawling tendencies that make it well suited to growing in a hanging basket.

Of course there's another way to keep that same wonderful aroma growing year after year, and that's to propagate it yourself. If you have never started a plant from stem cuttings before, pineapple sage is an easy plant to start with.

Cut fresh, nonflowering soft stem tips just below a leaf node (the nubby joint where the leaves attach to the stem) anytime during summer; about four inches is good. Carefully remove the lower leaves so all that remains is the leaf tip with two leaves beneath. Insert the end of the cutting (use a pencil first to prepare a hole) in a small pot filled with any well-drained light medium, such as sharp sand mixed with potting soil, peat moss mixed with vermiculite or even straight perlite. Place cuttings in a warm spot away from direct sun, keeping the soil slightly moist at all times.

After four weeks have gone by, check cuttings for signs of new growth, a good indication that roots have grown. If you gently tug on a cutting and can feel resistance, then it's time to transplant into larger pots or in the outdoor garden. (Place in a shaded area outdoors for several days before transplanting in the garden.)

Naturally its versatility deliciously goes from garden to kitchen with remarkable ease. Just close your eyes and imagine foods that could be enhanced by the delightful flavor of pineapple.

Use fresh or dried leaves with pork or chicken. Toss a few diced leaves into your next fruit salad, or give a hint of pineapple flavor to any dessert, such as blueberry cobbler. Add to jams, jellies, vinegars and marinades.

My favorite way to enjoy pineapple sage is to make a batch of tropical-tasting sun tea by loosely filling a gallon glass jar two-thirds full of fresh leaves. Fill the jar with water, cover and put outside in a sunny area for 10 to 12 hours, then strain into a pitcher for a cooling summertime drink. You can even create your own blend by adding leaves of other herbs, such as orange mint, bee balm (Monarda) or lemon verbena. And don't forget to dry a generous supply so you can enjoy a cup of soothing hot tea anytime during the winter.

When it comes to edible flowers, the gorgeous red flowers of pineapple sage are sweet and among the best tasting. Use flowers as a garnish for cakes, puddings or ice cream. Toss them into salads or float them in drinks of all sorts.