2008 list
Updated 13 March 2008
Salvias are
exciting plants. The New Book of Salvias, Sages for every Garden, by
Betsy Clebsch (2003, Timber Press) is a good resource
for gardeners interested in a diversity of sages.
Salvia argentea – Mediterranean. Wide silvery hairy leaves create a striking rosette. Fl.
stems rise to 2’ and carry creamy white fls. in
spring, but the leaves are the fetching attraction of this species. Z5
50 seeds
Salvia barrelieri - SW.Spain, N.Africa. Strong basal
rosettes are somewhat blue green; very ornamental flower stalks to 5' rise in
late spring and carry many large lavender blue flowers for a long period. A striking species. Z8 ? 30 seeds
Salvia bracteata – Middle East. Divided hairy leaves are light green on this subshrub; fl. stems to 12” carry large, muted medium pink fls. in spring and summer. Not
particularly showy, but very interesting.
Z9 or less. 20 seeds
Salvia broussonetii - Canary
Islands. Large light green leaves densely held on a
rounded perennial shrub are very attractive set among other garden plants on
this white flowered sage. To 30". Z9 30 seeds
Salvia canariensis var. candidissima - Canary
Islands. White
woolly leaves are thicker and whiter than in the typical species. Rose flowers
are set in red violet calyces. Z9 30 seeds
Salvia carduacea - California. Pale lavender
blue flowers with an incredibly frilly lower lip are borne in spiny, cobwebby
heads. Annual, good in containers. Z8
30 seeds
Salvia chamaedryoides - Texas, Mexico. This species presents a pleasing combination
of small gray leaves and true blue flowers on a compact subshrub.
Z8 30 seeds
Salvia cyanescens - C.
Anatolia. Low, white
pubescent rosettes; many airy spikes of blue violet flowers to 12-18" for
a long season in summer. Z7 30 seeds
Salvia desoleana
- Sardinia. Wide light green
leaves have undulating edges and make a tight clump to 2’. Pale cream and light
blue flowers are carried on 18” stems in spring and summer. Wonderfully
pungent leaf aroma. 20
seeds
Salvia disermas - pink fl. South
Africa. Light gray green leaves form a large mounding
perennial clump; many small pale pink flowers (in this form) almost
year-round. Z9, at least 50 seeds
Salvia disermas
- white fl. - South Africa. Light green
leaves on this form look good all year and form a pleasant mound to 2'; many
white flowers in spring and summer. Z9,
at least 50 seeds
Salvia greggii
- white fls. Texas, Mexico. The usual low shrubs carry bright, clean
white flowers for a long season. Leaves, of course, are sweetly aromatic. Z7
30 seeds
Salvia hierosolymitana – Middle East. Very large basal leaves are green. Early spring brings long flower stems with a succession of deep red
purple—almost maroon-- flowers. Plants are hardy, but spring frosts can
damage flowers. 20 seeds Sold out 2008
Salvia judaica - Palestine. Green rosettes
produce 12"+ stems with bright red violet stems and calyces, and lavender
blue flowers in spring. Z9, at least. 30 seeds Sold out 2008
Salvia lanigera
- E. Mediterranean. This tidy plant often
proceeds to seed production without showing flowers, but when they appear, the
spidery flowers are a pretty lavender blue. It is such
a tidy, light creamy green mound that the omission of flowers doesn't matter
much. Grows 8" high by about 18" wide. 30 seeds
Salvia lyrata - burgundy leaves -
southeast U.S. This seed strain has all burgundy colored
leaves, rather than the more typical dark green ones with purple markings. Flowers are pinkish white. 30 seeds
Z5 Sold out 2008
Salvia macrophylla - upright
form. Tingo, Peru.
Upright in habit, to 5'+, this form produces erect shrubs with large soft green
leaves. Long spikes of bright blue flowers with backswept lower lip are set
among limey green calyces. 30 seeds Sold out 2008
Salvia microphylla - pink - Mexico. Mid-green leaves and bright, large pink
flowers make this plant very useful in the garden. This species is more leafy
and dense in habit, and larger in flower than S. x jamensis. Z9 30 seeds
Salvia nilotica - Africa. Dense heads of small light blue purple flowers
are carried over attractive, dark green foliage. More for the collector than
for show, but quite nice in mixed plantings. 50 seeds
Salvia patens ‘White Trophy’ - Mexico. Large white flowers on this
long blooming perennial. 20
seeds
Salvia praeclara - Bolivia. This species can
best be described as a S. coccinea on steroids, leaves are thin and light green,
flower stems reach to 18" and carry vivid orange red fls
all summer above the foliage. Probably not hardy. 30 seeds
Salvia regla - Texas, Mexico. Large, glowing orange flowers are well
displayed in fall on this upright 4-5' shrub. Deciduous in
winter. Z9 20 seeds
Salvia repens
- South Africa. Low green lvs. are sometimes
lobed; flower stalks to 16" carry light blue and white flowers set in a
red violet calyx. Blooms for months, and the plants spread at the root with
enthusiasm in light soils. Z8-9? 50 seeds
Salvia roborowski - China. Soft yellow
flowers occur in terminal spikes all over this 1-2' annual sage. Very nice when
it self seeds a little. 50 seeds
Salvia scabra - South Africa. Blooming from
early summer to fall, this sage displays its pretty clear lavender, long tubed flowers very effectively. Dark green foliage is
low. Z9 30 seeds
Salvia serpyllifolia – Mexico. Grown for many
years as the purple form of S. microphylla
grahamii, this distinctive shrubby perennial has been determined
to be S. serpyllifolia.
It spreads in a limited way to form a nice patch and carries rich beetroot
purple flowers in summer and fall. To 18" tall by 3'
wide. 30 seeds
Salvia staminea - Asia Minor, Iran. Low rosettes are medium green,
flower stalks rise to 30" and carry pretty white flowers set in subtly
red-violet calyces. Flowering goes on for quite a while. Z5 50 seeds
Salvia spathacea - California. A matting perennial
with the sweetest smelling rough green leaves, Pitcher sage produces thick
spikes of dark pink flowers in spring and early summer. To
2'. Z8 30 seeds
Sold out 2008
Salvia splendens
– pink fl. – Brazil.
Majestic shrubs to 5’+ bloom all summer into fall with spikes of light peachy
pink flowers set in peach calyces among lush green leaves. Easy
in a watered shady spot. Tender to frost. 20 seeds
Salvia subrotunda – Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina. Small vivid orange fls. are in perfect contrast to green stems and leaves on this 4’ bushy
annual. Blooms from spring to frost, and is especially attractive to
hummingbirds. 30 seeds
Salvia taraxacifolia - Morocco. Gray,
sweet-smelling rosettes look like dandelions when they are young; spikes of
palest pink flowers appear late spring to fall. Very nice combined with
red-violet flowers. Perennial, to 18". Z9
30 seeds
Salvia tingitana - Morocco. Large pungently aromatic
leaves are luminous pale green; spring flowers are soft yellow and light lilac.
Forms an erect shrub to 2'. Z9 at least 30 seeds
Salvia viscosa - E. Europe. Smallish flowers are red-violet, and appear
in such profusion that they create a colorful cloud over the basal leaves of
this hardy species. Rosettes have softly scalloped dark green leaves. Z6
30 seeds