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.
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. 20oF or less.
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. 0oF or less.
sclarea—tricolor form. Clary sage. While hundreds of sages have had at least momentary stardom in the last couple of decades, others equally deserving have been all but ignored. This is one of the second group, so I will have to shout its virtues. It spends its first year or two as a low crown of furry grey-green leaves, often with pink-tinged stalks, each up to 8" long. Then it begins to grow and branch, with furry stalks that can reach 3’ or more. All along these are buds with large bracts, marked with cream and lavender-pink. The flowers themselves, when they open, are over an inch long and light blue and white in color. The show goes on for weeks or months. Cutting the stems before seeds are set can preserve the plants for another year or two; otherwise, they may die from their massive effort, self-seeding for future generations in the process. Hardy to 0oF. or less. So why don’t you have one?‘Verona’. There is a puzzle attached to this plant. It was wild-collected in Italy but fits no known species. Therefore it is assumed to be either a natural hybrid or one involving at least one garden escape. In any case, it is quite consistent from seeds, producing crowns of mostly 4-6" lance-shaped basal leaves. The leaves are deep green in color, deeply veined and closely toothed around the margins. Branched flowering stalks rise 12-18" from the crowns in summer and fall, carrying many whorls of small, intensely violet flowers. 15oF. or less, possibly much less.