Pineapple sage

[Elliot]

Last summer we grew pineapple sage. It not only can be eaten but at the end of the summer it grows these beautiful long red flowers that can be cut and put in a vase

Elliot

LI, New Yor

[kelleyville]

I love pineapple sage! Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to it as well! Try using it in a tea like you would a lemon or mint herb...it is nice that way! Of course it is just nice to rub and inhale too!

Kelley

[Elliot]

I never tried using it as a tea. I will

Elliot

[Medbury Gardens]

My pineapple sage is looking dead its mid winter here and the frosts have being hard, does any one if it will grow back in spring.

[kelleyville]

I had a pineapple sage that came back every year but we do not have real harsh winters here in Georgia. If you mulch it real well it should have a better chance.

Kelley

[Medbury Gardens]

You say Kelley that in Georgia you don`t get harsh winters,would you get frosts of -8 C,20 F ? like we have had here in the last few weeks,also does yours die back for winter, will have to wait and see if it pops up again but i can always buy another one
Richard

[kelleyville]

yes we get frosts and even below freezing! I lost my first one because we moved and my husband did not load the pot it was in, I have a new one this year myself. It was my understanding that the pineapple sage was a tender perrenial but mine came back every year for a decade no matter what the weather. If it comes back, pot up a baby or two to keep overwinter next year so in case it doesnt come back! I used to share mine with friends so we could trade back and forth. I am looking for the perfect spot for my new one! They are so beautiful that I would gladly buy this plant new every year!

You probably let it go to seed right? If nothing else those seeds are scattered around waiting to germinate in spring!

Kelley

[Medbury Gardens]

No i didn`t see any seed, but it did flower nicely though so maybe there is seed around where it was,it was my first year growing it and i know a bit more about it now i will also find a warmer spot this coming spring as well. Thanks Kelley

[kelleyville]

The seeds are really tiny...if you let it flower and die then the seeds spread!

Good luck!
Kelley

[gardenpaws_VA]

Richard,
According to Floridata, pineapple sage is root-hardy in US zone 8 (minimum temps 10-20 F.) so your plant will likely come back in the spring (other factors being satisfactory). Here's a link to a Wikipedia article referencing climate zone maps for North America, UK, and Australia - don't know if you can extrapolate from the Australian zones to your area in New Zealand. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardiness_zone

Robin

[Medbury Gardens]

Going by that wikpeda chart we are a zone 8 but then again we wouldn`t get no where as cold as some of the zone 8 US cities, gives me a rough idea, so theres hope yet and the pineapple sage root is still well anchored in the ground which is a good sign.

[Medbury Gardens]

Spring here, the herb garden coming to life again, had a look at pineapple sage but it didn`t make it, so i`m pinning my hopes on it reseeding its self.