Salvia africana-lutea is an aromatic, hardy shrub with unusually coloured flowers borne over a long period. It is fairly fast-growing, up to 2 m and very attractive to wildlife. Flowering begins in early spring, and the bright yellow flowers soon fade to rusty-orange and then reddish brown. After the petals fall, the saucer-like calyx, which becomes papery with age, remains as an added attraction. The flowers are attractive and contain a lot of sweet nectar which attracts bees and moths, and acts as an essential food supply for sunbirds, particularly when proteas are not flowering. The flowers are complimented by greyish-green, aromatic foliage. Altogether, this is a very worthwhile addition to one’s garden. Apart from attracting wildlife, brown sage makes an excellent tea for coughs, colds, bronchitis and female ailments (pour 1 cup of boiling water over a short (7 cm) sprig of leaves, stand for 5 minutes then strain and drink sweetened with honey. The leaves are lovely for use in potpourri as they retain their shape, colour and much of their fragrance, and mix well with other ingredients.