Salvia greggii ‘Salvito Violet’ forms a neat, upright plant with little oval green leaves that are scented when touched. Over a long spell in summer and autumn it produces closely packed spikes of tube-shaped flowers in bright purple, which bees and other pollinators make good use of.
It is a perennial, but it’s more often treated as an annual and works well in containers, borders and bedding schemes or as edging. Expect it to reach 50cm to a metre tall and up to 50cm across. It likes sun or part shade and a fertile soil that stays moist without becoming waterlogged. Pinch out the tips of young shoots for a bushier plant, and cut faded spikes back once they finish. It should get through winter in most of the UK.