Salvia lyrata 'Purple Knockout'

It prefers average to wet, clay or sandy soils in full sun. Drought and humidity tolerant. Cut back flower stalks if no petals appear and it will rebloom. In colder climates, Salvia lyrata prefers free draining soils with gravel or sand—too much soil moisture can result in winter losses. 

Grown mainly for the foliage, Salvia lyrata 'Purple Knockout' has compact basal rosettes of shiny burgundy leaves that turn to deep purple in summer, then to red in the fall. Spikes of pale lilac-blue flowers appear in spring and summer growing up to 18” tall. The flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies and the seed in winter feeds smaller songbirds. ‘Purple Knockout’ is very easy to grow in just about any soil, it will self-sow to spread and become a dense groundcover that makes a great native substitute for Ajuga. Introduced by Jelitto Perennial Seeds in 1999.

Salvia lyrata is native to the wood's edge, thickets and tall meadows of the eastern US and lower Midwest. It prefers average to wet, clay or sandy soils in full sun. Lyre-leaved sage is remarkably drought and humidity tolerant. It tolerates light foot traffic and can be mowed. Sometimes the flowers have only calyces and no petals. We have not been able to determine the cause of this, but a cut back of the stems promotes new blooms that often have petals the second time around. When happily situated, Salvia lyrata self-sows or spreads by rhizome.

Salvia lyrata ‘Purple Knockout’ is a wonderful groundcover and an excellent addition to a rain garden or meadow setting. While the plant can take periodic flooding and moist sites in summer, a climate that experiences cold, wet winter can experience winter losses. It is best for it to be situated in a freely-draining site in cold, wet climates.