At the beginning of summer I planted a number of herbs, one of them being pineapple sage, Salvia elegans. The plant is just now starting to bloom and both hummingbirds and butterflies love it. The plant is a short day plant which means it doesn't flower until the length of sunlight during the day lessons. Even a porch light may negatively affect their blooms; moon and star light aren't bright enough to affect blooming. The plant blooms over a long period of time in late autumn. I love the fact the blossoms provide food for hummingbirds and butterflies late in the season when there may not be other plants blooming.
The plant has gotten four foot tall in one season and was planted from a three inch pot. In a hard frost the plant will die to the ground but will hopefully come back next season. The leaves and flowers are edible and medicinal. Pineapple sage is native to the mountains of Mexico and Guatemala and is used in Mexican traditional medicine for anxiety and lowering blood pressure. The plant has antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties.
Sunday I fired a bisque load and yesterday I glazed. I fired the kiln overnight last night. Tomorrow I should have some new pots to show you. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.
