This Salvia is traditionally grown for its edible and nutritious seeds, known as Chia seeds. The plants come from Central America and are an annual herb, with bright green leaves and purple, sometimes white, flowers. They flower in July and August, set seed in autumn, after which the seeds can be collected and cleaned for eating. Chia plants are attractive to bees and are good garden plants in their own right.
Salvia hispanica grows best in a sunny sheltered location in well-drained soils. The seeds should be sown as early as possible for your location. The plants need to be well established by the middle of June, as they are triggered into flower by the shortening of daylight that follows the summer solstice, and they need plenty of time to flower.
Pack of 1g (approx 700) seeds. Sow in spring for harvesting in the autumn. Sowing instructions and a colour photo are printed on the packet.
See how your seeds are packed.
