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 argenteaMediterranean. 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 bracteataMiddle 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 hierosolymitanaMiddle 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 serpyllifoliaMexico.  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