2010 list

Updated 18 January 2010

All packets are $3.50. Zones included at the end of the description correspond to climatic zones used by the USDA and the RHS Index of Garden Plants. CN at the end of the entry denotes plants native to California.

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.

All Salvias are in the Lamiaceae.

Salvia apiana – California. White sage. Subshrub makes 2-3’ mounds of broad white, highly aromatic leaves. Flower stems to 6’+ carry white to pinkish white flowers in spring. 50 seeds CN

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 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 – Canary Islands. The varieties listed below are not really an improvement on the species, which makes a shrub to 5’, with dark grey green leaves with white undersides and abundant rose flowers in red violet calyces. 30 seeds

Salvia canariensis var. albiflora - Canary Islands. Leaves are greener and narrower than in the typical species. White flowers appear in the usual long wands. Z9 30 seeds

Salvia canescens var. daghestanica – Caucasus. Small rosettes of felted white leaves; flower spikes rise to 12" and carry deep blue purple flowers. Great rock garden plant. 20 seeds

Salvia coccinea ‘Brenthurst’ – Tropical S. America. Generally used as an annual bedding sage, this plant can be perennial in mild areas. Warm pink flowers are set off nicely by dark stems during a very long blooming season. 30 seeds

Salvia darcyi - Mexico. Long, erect spikes of large bright red flowers appear all summer and fall on this hardy perennial Mexican sage. Spreads a bit at the root, and is deciduous in winter. Very showy. Z8 30 seeds Sold out 2010

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 30 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 lanceolata - South Africa. Very dense shrub to 3' with triangular gray leaves, and shortly spreading by underground stems. Large dusty pink flowers appear in spring and summer, and the calyces expand in fruit. 20 seeds limited supply

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 macrophylla - low form, Tingo, Peru. Wide heart shaped leaves grow like a squash along the ground. Some stems rise to 2-3' and carry a long series of lime green calyces from which bright blue buds develop into gentian blue flowers with a severely swept back lower lip. Styles and stamens are lightly blue flushed too. Tender to frost. Easy and fast. 30 seeds

Salvia macrophylla - upright form, Tingo, Peru. Another plant from the same general collection is upright in form, to 5'+, with no wandering tendencies. The progeny from that plant tend to stay upright. Seed has been gathered and kept separate from both (somewhat isolated) forms. Same bright blue flowers all season. 30 seeds

Salvia macrophylla—purple undersides – Peru. Shrub to 6’+ with large dark green leaves with purple undersides. Spikes of dark blue flowers are abundant spring to fall. Vigorous and impressive, but tender to hard frost. 30 seeds

Salvia mellifera - California. Dark green leaved shrubs of black sage perfume the chaparral hillsides of coastal California. Dense whorls of white flowers in spring. Z8 50 seeds CN

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 namaensis – southern Africa. Twiggy light shrub to 5’ has a distinctive “medicinal” aroma and small pale blue flowers. Botanists call the light green leaves “lyrate pinnatifid” and they are quite attractive. No hard frost. 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 ‘Guanajuato’ - Mexico. Oversized gentian blue flowers are a third again as big as they typical species. Fl. stems rise to 5’ and blooming goes on most of the summer. 20 seeds Sold out 2010

The cultivars ‘White Trophy’, ‘Cambridge Blue’, ‘Lavender Lady’ and ‘Lavender Ice’ (palest lavender) are also available. 15 seeds per packet while supply lasts.

Salvia pauciserrata ssp calocalicina – South America. Lush dark green leaves form a leafy shrub to 5’; long stems of bright red flowers create a sparkling effect. Very showy. Tender to hard frost. 30 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 pratensis 'Haemotodes' - Europe. Green basal rosette; the great display of clouds of lavender blue flowers on dense spikes continues spring through the summer. Hardy and quite lovely. Z3 50 seeds

Salvia radula – southern Africa. Robust perennial has green leaves felted white beneath. Prominent spikes of clear white flowers are carried in summer and fall. Long bloom. 30 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 roemeriana - Texas. Bright true red flowers appear for a long season on this low and spreading perennial sage from Texas. Grows in sun or part shade. Z8 30 seeds

Salvia rubescens – Columbia, Venezuela. Shrub to 5-6’ with rough green leaves and long spikes of bright red-orange flowers set on dark stems. Protect from hard frost. 20 seeds Sold out 2010

Salvia sagittata - Ecuador. Thick light green leaves are deltoid and fairly large; well displayed spikes of very distinctive, true gentian blue flowers appear in summer and fall. Handsome in leaf and flower. Needs protection from frost. 30 seeds Sold out 2010

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 sclarea –low form – Turkey. Fl. stems to 2’ on this small scale clary sage. Flowers and bracts are the usual pretty pink and white. Z5 50 seeds

Salvia sclarea var. turkestanica - Europe, C. Asia. Low rosettes are pale green. Sculptural, almost ghostly, flower stalks have prominent white (tinged pink) bracts, and white flowers. Stunning. Also known as S. sclarea 'Alba'. Z5 50 seeds

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. 30 seeds

Salvia stenophylla – South Africa. Perennial keeps low, green rosettes; fl. stems extend 1’ and carry many small light blue flowers in spring. Easy. Z9 50 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 – perhaps Morocco, but uncertain. 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