SALVIA. Sage. Worldwide. This is a huge and diverse group of mint allies, grown both for ornament and for herbal qualities. Those listed below are undemanding perennials and shrubs with usually rough-textured, aromatic leaves. Some form broad rosettes of basal leaves; others have branched, leafy stems. Usually the leaves are paired along the stems. Irregular 2-lipped flowers are borne in dense heads, whorls or spikes above the foliage. They come in nearly every floral shade, including near-black. Culture and hardiness vary widely, though most prefer a sunny spot with well drained soil. Many, particularly natives of California and the Southwest, are drought tolerant.

apiana. White sage. This is a common sight in the hills of southern California but not well known in the north. The main body of the plant is usually under 3' high, with several short, stocky stems. These are crowded with nearly white, somewhat bitterly aromatic leaves, up to 4" long. Above them rise openly branched, wandlike flower stems, as much as 6' high. These carry rather few flowers up to 1" in length, white overall with lavender or pink markings. These plants originally from Tree of Life Nursery are particularly nice, with compact habit and large leaves. They will need more sun and better soil drainage than many salvias but have nearly unlimited drought tolerance. Hardy to 20^oF or less.

argentea. This is a revival of an old offering. The plants are notable for their broad, toothed, white-hairy basal leaves, which lie close against the ground. The leaves are individually up to a foot long. In summer, branched flower stalks rise 2-3' above the foliage, displaying many white flowers. These may go almost unnoticed against the wool of the stems. The plants may die after seeding; quickly removing the flower stems will prolong their life by at least a year or two. They need full exposure and are best on a bank or slope. 20^oF or less.

‘Bee’s Bliss’. This recent introduction captures some of the best features of S. sonomensis (described below) with a distinctly less temperamental disposition. It makes broad, dense mats with bright greyish leaves, about 2" long. In spring and early summer it is decorated by many clusters of lavender blossoms, borne at the shoot tips. This is potentially a valuable ground cover for exposed banks and slopes, and a pretty plant for low borders, if full sun and well drained soil can be provided. Probably 15^oF or less.

cacaliaefolia. A “relaxed” semishrub, with sprawling stems which take root where they touch the ground to make mounds up to 3' high and 6' or more broad. The stems are lined by triangular bright green leaves, 1-3" long. It is nearly everblooming near the coast, producing clusters of bright, true blue flowers, each a little over an inch long, at every shoot tip. Its hardiness is not well tested; assume 20-25^oF.

chamaedryoides is one of the prettiest of all the salvias and has gotten a rousing response from the gardening public. It is a compact shrub, growing about 3' tall and 4-5' broad in this selection. The stems are pale and greyish, and closely lined by small, broadly oval leaves, greyish green on their upper surface, nearly white beneath. Short clusters of bright, true blue flowers grace the plant most of the year. Its main drawback is a marked intolerance of excessive moisture or poor soil drainage. 15-20^oF.

clevelandii hybrids. When closely related salvias come into a garden, it is nearly inevitable that the bees will try their hands (claws?) at hybridizing, and that something beautiful will appear. Several popular shrubby natives were once universally listed as cultivars of S. clevelandii, blue sage. Careful study at Rancho Santa Ana and elsewhere showed them to be hybrids with S. leucophylla and others. The first to be recognized as such was ‘Allen Chickering’, originating at Rancho Santa Ana. This is still my favorite of the group. It is a dense shrub, 4-5’ tall with greater spread. The twigs are clothed with 3" grey green, fragrant leaves which make a pleasant tea. In late spring and summer many 1-2’ blooming stems rise from the shoot tips, displaying deep lavender blossoms in interrupted ball shaped clusters. A somewhat larger, slightly looser growing selection, ‘Aromas’, was first raised by the late Ken Taylor in the town of the same name. The flower clusters can be even larger and darker than those of ‘Allen Chickering’. ‘Whirly Blue’ is yet another, similar selection, quite bushy and grey-leaved. Occasional watering when established. Around 15^oF.

coahuilensis hybrid. This is the name under which Salvia muelleri was first received. The current selection is fairly distinct, however, though clearly part of the greggii/muelleri complex. This is a small shrub, probably never much over 3'. It forms small colonies by means of underground rhizomes. Each major shoot has upswept branches and small, rather light green leaves. In contrast, the small flowers are colored a rich, deep violet, equalled by few other salvias. Probably 15^oF or less.

‘Dara's Choice’. Sonoma sage. An apparent hybrid of S. sonomensis, selected by the late Dara Emery at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. It is a spreading, semishrubby perennial forming broad carpets of grey green leaves. It is decorated by many 6-12" spikes of purple flowers in spring. It is exceptionally attractive and more disease-resistant than the species generally. Useful as a bank cover or for draping over walls and rockery. It tolerates some shade. Little or no watering when established. About 10^oF.

darcyi. A robust plant, making many upsweeping 3’ stems from the base. The leaves are about 2“ long, broad, resinous and light green in color. Stunning bright red flowers are borne many to each long cluster at the shoot tips. Though it has a subtropical look, it is said by the folks at Yucca Do Nursery in Texas to have weathered 4^oF.

‘Dark Dancer’. A stunning hybrid discovered as a chance seedling at Wintergreen by Victor Quintero. The likely parents are S. muelleri and a large flowered S. microphylla, both described below. It grows round and dense, about 3' tall, with foliage like S. muelleri or S. greggii. The flowers are exceptionally large for this group and have broad, rounded “skirts” of rich red-violet, reminiscent to us of little ballerinas. Probably 15^oF or less.

forskaohlei. This seems to be the current name for plants previously listed as S. hians. For some reason, the plants show little interest in the change. These are, as always, robust perennials with basal crowns of roughly heart shaped, blunt-tipped, furry leaves up to 8" long. In summer they send up branched 2’ stems carrying long clusters of showy violet flowers, marked with white. Moderate to occasional watering. About 0^oF.

gesneriiflora ‘Tequila’. A robust shrub, growing 8' tall or more. It has bright, nearly chartreuse stems and foliage. The leaves are large, nearly heart shaped and felted with fine hairs. It blooms mostly during the cooler months, carrying clusters of 2½" blossoms at the shoot tips. The tube is scarlet, making a striking contrast with a nearly black calyx. Damaged at 25^o but it has recovered quickly after bouts of 20^oF or less.

glechomaefolia. This is a pleasant little plant, never making quite the spectacle of some salvias but always neat and pretty. It makes a slowly spreading mat from underground rhizomes, with erect, leafy shoots up to 1' high. The leaves are bright green and softly shiny. Small violet flowers with white markings are borne in interrupted clusters above the foliage, throughout the summer and well into fall. This salvia thrives in a protected spot and will even bloom well in part shade. Its hardiness is not well tested; probably 20^oF or less.

greggii. This species has long been popular for landscape use, though until recently the material available reflected little of its diversity in the wild. Some dedicated effort in selection has resulted in a wealth of new flower colors. Most clones are in the 2-4’ range. All have closely branched stems and narrow 3/4-1½" leaves, colored light green to bluish green. The ½-1" blossoms are dotted in small clusters over the plants much of the year. Our earlier material, received from James David in Austin, Texas, includes selections with white, coral, and deep red flowers. Betsy Clebsch’s selection, ‘Annie’, has blossoms I would describe as hot lipstick pink. Our own cross between this one and a coral-orange selection, dubbed ‘Wild Thing’, has blossoms of an incredible, glowing orange-red. ‘Moonlight’, discovered by our own Jose Gonsales, is a particularly compact plant bearing masses of moonlight yellow blossoms. ‘Plum Wine’ has reddish purple flowers. These are perfect shrubs for exposed banks and neglected corners of the garden. With better treatment or heavy soils they grow and flower beautifully for a while, but tend to be short-lived. Mostly 15^oF. or less.

x jamensis (previously listed under S. greggii). This is a swarm of natural hybrids found in northern Mexico, involving S. greggii and S. microphylla. Recent explorations by the folks from Yucca Do Nursery in Texas, plus the diligent efforts of hummingbirds and bees, have resulted in several showy selections from the complex. They generally resemble S. greggii in habit and foliage. The flowers tend to be larger and display an unusual range of colors, including yellow and orange shades. ‘Cienega de Oro’ is an upright 2-3' shrub with pale yellow flowers.‘Chiffon’, another upright selection with large, pale yellow flowers, is probably also of this group. ‘Sierra San Antonio’ is similar in habit. Its flowers combine moonlight yellow and an unusual soft orange. ‘Coral Sunrise’ is a recent introduction by Ginny Hunt, bushy in habit and growing about 3' high. The flowers are deep coral pink on opening, lighter as they age. The calyx and flower stems are nearly black. Probably 15^oF or less.

leucantha. Mexican bush sage. A bushy perennial which spreads underground to form dense colonies. The stems are 2-3' tall and covered with white wool. Closely lining them are long, narrow greyish green leaves. A striking contrast is created from late spring to fall by 1-2' flower stems densely covered with purple-rose hairs and displaying clusters of—in our traditional selection—rosy purple flowers (the typical flower color is white). ‘Eder’ is a sport discovered recently at the nursery by Leonel Morales. It has leaves irregularly margined in creamy yellow, and the same rosy purple flowers as “mama” plant. Winter deciduous (or more precisely, burned down by frost, then reappearing from the rootstock in spring). Most soils, moderate to little watering. About 15^oF.

leucophylla ‘Figueroa’. Purple sage. I once set out to find plants with better cold tolerance than available in coastal selections of this species. ‘Figueroa’ is ornamentally the best of the resulting selections. It is a compact shrub 3-4' tall, with wider spread. Both stems and leaves are covered with white wool. In summer it produces long stems displaying interrupted clusters of lavender pink flowers. Very heat and drought-tolerant and useful as a cover for dry banks. 15^oF or less.

microphylla. This species is part of a botanical complex with S. greggii, S. muelleri and S. coahuilensis. Distinguishing them sometimes requires a trained botanist, though each has many beautiful forms. This one, which is found from southern Arizona to southern Mexico, is extremely variable. It is a profusely branched shrub with slender young stems and usually small, flat, green leaves. The flowers are of variable size, up to perhaps 1" long and broad, much like those of S. greggii in form, and borne most of the year in loose clusters at the shoot tips. Colors range from white to intense violet, rose pink and fire engine red. We offer most of these at one time or another, simply under their color names. Most forms are easily grown and drought tolerant, though their hardiness varies considerably.

ssp. (var.?) grahami (S. grahami). While botanists debate the “true” identity of this complex entity, we can simply appreciate its ornamental features. The plants are usually quite full, with relatively broad leaves of variable size. Our original offering is round and about as dense as a salvia can be, with bright green leaves and brilliant red flowers, borne mostly in midsummer. 20^oF. or less.

var. neurepia (“deltoid leaf form” in previous editions of this guide). One of the showiest, toughest and longest lived of the southwestern salvias. The unnamed selection at hand is a nearly round to spreading shrub, growing 3-5’ tall and a little more openly branched than S. greggii. It has broad, conspicuously angled and toothed leaves and bears a continual succession of large, bright red blossoms. My own home plant has never been out of bloom. 10^oF. or less.

muelleri. Closely related to and generally resembling S. greggii (see above), this is a lower, more spreading shrub. I would estimate the size of the current selection at 3' x 6'+ at maturity. It has slender, closely branched stems and narrow 1-2" leaves. From spring to fall it is sprinkled with short clusters of beautiful violet blossoms. Probably hardy to 15^oF or less.

nemorosa. Europe to central Asia. A hardy species with branched leafy stems up to 3’ high (less in most cultivars and hybrids). The leaves are oval to lance-shaped, dark green to grey-green and hairy. Small, usually purple flowers are clustered on long branched stalks at the shoot tips. It has been hybridized extensively to give us the S. x superba series described below. ‘Plumosa’ is claimed to belong to the species itself. It has compact clumps of 2’ stems with grey-green leaves and large, dense clusters of rosy purple bracts.

officinalis. The type species is our common kitchen sage, ornamental but usually relegated to the herb garden. It forms dense clumps, usually 6-12" high. Each shoot is packed with 2-4" narrowly oval, fuzzy leaves. In spring it sends up many dense spikes of small lavender to violet blossoms.‘Berggarten’ is a dense, low carpet of broad grey-green leaves, with lavender-blue flowers. ‘Variegata’ has dull green leaves strongly and irregularly variegated with yellow, particularly bright in spring. ‘Icterina’ is similar. It has never bloomed for us. ‘Purpurea’ has darker green foliage, strongly tinged with purple in new growth. ‘Tricolor’ combines dark green, cream and purplish red. Tough, easily grown plants for use in the low border and—of course—an ornamental addition to the herb garden. 0^oF or less.

regla ‘Huntington’. A tough, hardy Texan with several ornamental features. This selection grows around 3' tall and spreads to at least 6'. It has bright green, profusely branched stems and rounded, deeply textured leaves. It blooms much of the year, though the heaviest displays come in spring and fall. Large, orange-red blossoms are carried in short clusters at each shoot tip. After each flower has fallen the reddish calyx left behind maintains a flower-like appearance for several weeks. Selected at the Huntington Botanical Garden. Tolerant of many soils, drought and temperatures to 10^oF or less.

roemeriana. A Texas native, unlike any of our other salvias in habit. It clumps tightly at the base, forming many low crowns of soft heart shaped leaves. Slender, branched 1' flower stems rise almost continuously, from early spring to fall, each displaying many tubular scarlet blossoms. Shearing off spent flower stems improves the show. Sun or part shade, moderate to occasional watering. Hardy to 10^oF or less.

‘Shirley’s Creeper’. An apparent garden hybrid of S. mellifera (the native black sage), selected and given to us for trial by Charles Christiansen. It is initially prostrate but can eventually form a broad mound up to 3’ high. The leaves are deep green, textured and aromatic like those of S. mellifera, and the flowers are carried in the same interrupted clusters. They are cream-white in color. 15^oF. or less.

somalensis. An African species, rather coincidentally reminiscent of our own black sage, S. mellifera. It is a bushy small shrub, 3-5' in height and a little more in breadth. It has stocky, well-branched stems, crowded with long, rather narrow leaves. They resemble S. mellifera both in their texture and in their odd, slightly yellowish green color. Branched flower stalks carry many small lavender flowers above the shoot tips during summer and fall. I am reselecting from seedling groups for brighter, clear lavender flowers. This is a tidy, easily grown shrub for mixed plantings, borders and individual display. Unfortunately, recent freezes have shown it somewhat tender; assume 20-25^oF.

sonomensis. Sonoma sage. I am pleased to have this species to describe once again, though it sometimes tries the patience of all who grow it. This is a prostrate, semishrubby perennial, often seen making broad carpets in the California chaparral. The stems are closely lined by rather narrow, pleasantly to bitterly aromatic leaves, about 2" long. They are covered by short hairs, especially on the lower surface, and can be almost ashy grey in color (some forms have tired-looking yellowish green leaves, but one would hardly consider these for the garden. Rising straight up off the mats in spring are slender stems carrying interrupted clusters of deep purple to white (unfortunately, usually "dirty white") blossoms. My recent selections are from the nearby Gabilan Range and combine bright grey leaves with violet flowers. This is an ideal ground cover for steep, dry banks, needing full exposure and excellent soil drainage to reliably persist. 15^oF or less.

spathacea ‘Kawatre’. An unusual native perennial, in this case from the Santa Lucia Mountains. It forms broad, dense clumps with arrow shaped, interestingly textured 6-8" leaves clustered at the base. Leafy 2’ stems appear in spring and fall, carrying large interrupted ball shaped clusters of 2" blossoms which are deep magenta on opening, changing to orange-red. A recent addition from the wild, even more robust and with generally darker flowers, is ‘King Crimson’. All parts of the plant are strongly and pleasantly aromatic. Tolerates some shade. Moderate to no watering. Probably 5-10^oF.

x superba. A bushy perennial up to 2' tall, with distinctly angled grey-green stems and pointed-oval, heavily textured dark green leaves. In the cultivar `Compacta’, 6-10" spikes of glowing purple blossoms create a massive display in late spring and summer. ‘Rose Queen’ puts on a similar show with blossoms between rose and burgundy in color. ‘May Night’ is a more robust plant, quickly making clumps up to 2' across. It has large, dark green leaves and masses of flowers on branched 12" stalks. Moderate watering. 0^oF or below.

thymoides. A delightful little shrub, unfortunately a little touchy for the average gardener. It closely resembles S. chamaedryoides (see above), and is undoubtedly closely related. However, the plant is smaller overall (2' or less), and leaves and flowers are both considerably smaller. They present the same bright, blue-on-grey contrast, blooming most of the summer. Well drained soil is a must! 15-20^oF.