Salvia Divinorum
Family - Lamiaceae
Salvia divinorum is a rare plant species originating from the Sierra Mazateca, Oaxaca, Mexico. The Mazatec indigenous people inhabit the area and currently use the plant for ceremonial purposes. The plant’s species name, “divinorum”, is said to mean “of the seer”, and refers to its traditional use in medicinal divination. For centuries the Mazatec shamans have used S. divinorum for divinatory and religious purposes. Additionally, it has been used in medicinal practices to treat diarrhea, headache, rheumatism, anemia, and a semimagical disease known as “panzón de Borrego”, or a swollen belly, which they believed to be caused by an evil sorcerer.
This plant has garnered huge popularity in modern times and breeding offers great potential for future medical applications.
In the right conditions, S. Divinorum grows really well in the UK climate so why not grow your own?
Salvia Divinorum Carnival
Salvia Divinorum is a semi-tropical perennial plant so should not be exposed to temperatures below 10°C. Its preference is between 15–27°C with a relative humidity of 50% or more. In the UK they can be grown as a houseplant or outside in the summer. They are not tolerant of frost or drought and prefer shade with little direct sunlight. It can grow upto 2.5metres in the right conditions but the branches often break off before then. In nature this could then become a new plant and this process is easily replicated by taking cuttings.
Salvia Divinorum prefers a well-drained slightly acidic soil but a good peat-free multi-purpose compost will suffice. The plants love the addition of coir and perlite.
Water your salvia plant whenever the soil feels like it is drying out. If the soil is dry and the leaves begin to wilt, water immediately.
Keep your salvia plant in a bright, warm location out of direct sunlight. Mist during extended periods of low humidity.
Use fertiliser about once a month throughout the summer to keep the plant healthy. Be careful not to overfeed, if in doubt flush growing media with rainwater.
If you are keeping your plant indoors, take it outside on warm, rainy days to allow rainwater to wash the leaves and soil. This will help prevent mineral build-up that could lock out nutrients and prevent healthy growth.
Pests include slugs, aphids, whitefly, caterpillars and red spider mites.