Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca) - Wildlife-Friendly Native (Peat-Free, Pesticide-Free Super Plugs & 9cm Pots)

Wild Clary brings honest nectar and a soft, natural look to dry grassland, banks and gravel borders. Plants form low aromatic rosettes and send up slender spikes stacked with open, nectar-rich blooms that are easy for long-tongued bumblebees and solitary bees to work. Flowering runs from late spring into high summer, with a useful second flush if you trim after the first wave.

It thrives where many plants struggle: full sun, well-drained, low-fertility soils (especially chalk/limestone or sand), and it’s drought-tolerant once established. Ideal for meadow lawns, steppe/gravel plantings, coastal gardens, wildlife strips and the front of sunny borders. Combines beautifully with Small Scabious, Marjoram, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Yarrow and fine grasses.

Where it thrives

• Full sun

• Well-drained, lean soils; chalk/sand welcome

• Meadow lawn edges, gravel/steppe borders, coastal sites, herb borders, pots with gritty mix

Planting & care
Plant 25-30 cm apart; water to establish, then keep on the dry side. Shear after first flush for repeat flowers. Leave some seedheads for winter structure and a light self-sow. Avoid heavy feeding and winter waterlogging.

Name clarity (honest note):
This is Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca), not the taller Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea). Less showy, more naturalistic - and brilliant for bees in dry, sunny gardens.

Joel says…
“For chalky banks and dry borders that need real nectar and an easy, native look, Wild Clary is spot on. Plant it lean, trim after flowering, and let a few seedlings stitch through. As always, peat-free and pesticide-free, ready to thrive.”

Although there is a minimum order requirement of 8 plugs when purchasing specific species, if selecting our Super Plug Bespoke Pack, you can select up to 4 species of your choice from our given list to make up a 16 pack (or greater), allowing you a wider choice of plug species if 8 of one is too many. Find the link to our Super Plug Bespoke Pack here!

These SUPER PLUG specimens are available in 8 pack, 16 pack, 32 pack and 48 pack. The 9CM POTS are available individually.

They're both ready to be shipped to you in a few days.

If you need ANY advice on planting or suitable plants for a specific area, please remember that as a Wild Your Garden customer you're entitled to free professional and tailored advice from our founder, Joel.