Pineapple sage

Pineapple sage: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright, branching shrub 1 m tall and 60 cm wide, with square, hairy stems.

Leaves

Oval, 5–10 cm, soft, light green and slightly hairy; smells of pineapple when rubbed.

Flower

Bright red, tubular flowers 3–4 cm long in long, loose spikes, from September to November.

Scent

The foliage smells fresh, like ripe pineapple, especially when touched.

Roots

Fibrous and shallow: the plant is easy to repot or lift for the winter.

Flowering: September–November · Harvest and fruit: June–November · Plants: May–June · Pruning: April and June

Why grow it?

• The leaves smell of pineapple and are good in drinks, fruit salads and tea; the flowers are edible.
• Bright red flowers in autumn, when most borders are starting to fade.
• Attracts bees, bumblebees and other insects, even late in the season.
• Fast-growing: fills a good spot in the border or a large pot in a single season.
• Easy to propagate: cuttings root readily in water.

Pineapple sage: where does it grow best?

• Full sun in a warm, sheltered spot, for example against a south-facing wall.
• Loose, humus-rich, free-draining soil: sand or loam, acid to neutral.
• Normally moist: do not let the soil dry out in summer, but avoid wet feet.
• Allow 50–60 cm between plants; in a pot, at least 30 cm across.
• Do not put it in a windy spot: the stems break easily.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

1 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Half hardy (to -3 °C): protect it in harsh winters

Goes well with

• Dahlia: Flowers at the same time and shares the need for warmth and sun.
• Michaelmas daisy: Purple-blue flowers contrast nicely with the bright red.
• Rudbeckia: Yellow flowers that bloom in the same late summer and autumn.
• Ornamental grasses: Plumes and fine foliage give calm next to the bright red flowers.

Pineapple sage: when and how to plant it?

Plant in May–June.

1. Plant only after the Ice Saints, in May–June, when night frosts are over.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in a few spadefuls of compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot, 50–60 cm from the next, and firm the soil.
4. In a pot: use a pot at least 30 cm wide with drainage holes and an airy compost.
5. Water in at once and spread a mulch of compost or bark around the base.

Care

Water

Keep the soil evenly moist in summer; a plant in a pot can need water every day in warm weather.

Feeding

From June to August every 3–4 weeks, a liquid or organic feed. Not later: flowering would then be slower to start.

Pinching out

Until mid-July, pinch out the tips of the shoots: the plant becomes denser and breaks less.

Support

In a windy spot, put in a stake or ring when the branches get heavy.

Harvesting

Pick leaves and flowers fresh for drinks, fruit salads and decoration.

Tip: The leaves smell of pineapple and the bright red flowers do not appear until autumn. It is not hardy: overwinter it frost-free or take cuttings in summer.

Pineapple sage: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April and June.

When: In April, when the new shoots appear at the base. Until mid-July you can pinch out the tips.

How:

• In April, cut the overwintered plant back to 15–20 cm above the ground, just above healthy buds.
• In June–July, pinch out the tips of young shoots for bushy growth.
• Remove dead or weak branches right at the base.
• In October, before bringing it indoors, remove the flowering tips or cut it back by half.

Caution: Do not pinch out after mid-July: it flowers at the ends of the shoots and would then flower even later, or not at all.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In July–August: cuttings of 10 cm from non-flowering tips, lower leaves removed, in water or moist compost. Roots in 2–3 weeks; overwinter frost-free.

Spring cuttings

In March–April, from the overwintered plant: take young shoots of 8–10 cm and root them in a warm, bright place.

Pineapple sage: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −3 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Not hardy: it tolerates a light night frost down to about −3 °C, but in most Belgian winters it dies.
• Bring pot or plant indoors before the first hard frost (October), to a bright, cool spot at 5–10 °C.
• Water sparingly and do not feed; remove dead leaves.
• Take a few cuttings in summer beforehand as insurance.

Diseases and pests

• Whitefly: Small white flies under the leaves, especially indoors. Yellow sticky traps and regular rinsing help.
• Red spider mite: Fine webs and dull leaves in dry, warm conditions. Mist regularly and rinse with water.
• Late or no flowers: Flowering starts late. Put it in a warm, sheltered spot and bring it indoors before frost.
• Slugs: Young plants are nibbled after planting. Collect the slugs and protect the plant until it is bigger.

Through the year

• March: Take cuttings from the overwintered plant. Move to a brighter spot.
• April: Cut back to 15–20 cm above the ground. Repot.
• May: After the Ice Saints, put outside or plant.
• June: Pinch out tips. Start feeding.
• July: Water. Last pinching out. Take cuttings.
• August: Water. Take cuttings for the winter.
• September: Flowering begins. Pick leaves and flowers.
• October: Flowering. Bring indoors before the first hard frost.
• November: Indoors in a bright, cool spot. Water sparingly.

Edible and useful

Flowers (September–November)

The scarlet tubular flowers appear late, from September until the first frost. They are sweet (full of nectar) and pretty on puddings, salads and in drinks.

Leaves (June–October)

Pick the soft leaves from June to October; rubbed, they smell strongly of pineapple. They taste milder than common sage: lovely in fruit salad, iced tea, lemonade, with chicken or in a cocktail.

Storing

Fresh, a few days in the fridge. Dried leaves lose much of their pineapple scent: make a syrup instead, or freeze them chopped. Pineapple sage is not hardy: take a cutting or bring the plant indoors before the frost.

Caution: In normal amounts as a herb or tea, pineapple sage is safe. During pregnancy do not drink large amounts of sage tea. Only use plants that have not been sprayed: let garden-centre plants grow on for a few weeks first.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Pineapple sage syrup (Syrup · ± 500 ml · 15 min + 2 hrs steeping)
• Autumn fruit salad with pineapple sage (Dish · 4 people · 15 min)

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The plant used to be called Salvia rutilans.
• In its homeland, Mexico and Guatemala, its red, tubular flowers are visited by hummingbirds.
• Both the leaves and the flowers are edible; the flowers taste sweet.