A very diverse group of shrubs and perennials.
Most love our Mediterranean climate.
Many are drought and heat-tolerant.
Most attract hummingbirds.

Many new species, varieties, and hybrids are being introduced to the nursery trade; and books such as the Sunset Western Garden Book don't list many of the new ones. Descriptions below are based on information from Monterey Bay Nursery and Suncrest Nursery, two of our wholesale growers.

Salvia apiana -- WHITE SAGE
3' tall and wide; white flowers, fragrant foliage. 20° or lower.

Salvia argentea
Large leaves hug the ground; white flrs on 2-3' spikes. 20° or lower.

Salvia azurea grandiflora (pitcheri) -- PITCHER SAGE
Evergreen or deciduous perennial to 3-4' tall, deep blue flowers. 0°.

Salvia blepharophylla
Evergreen to deciduous to 24" tall bears spikes of bright red flrs. 20°.

Salvia cacaliaefolia
Evergreen  shrubby perennial to 3-4' tall, spreading to 4-5' wide, clear dark azure blue flowers. Part shade to shade. 20° - 25°.

Salvia chamaedryoides
A compact to slightly sprawling mound of dense, small grey leaves; small, clear dark blue flowers with lighter centers. 15° - 20°.

Salvia chiapensis
Low, evergreen (but tender) perennial with dark green, glossy leaves, loose spikes of dark rose pink flowers. Protect from frost.

Salvia clevelandii
[These listed below are actually hybrids with S. leucantha and other species.] 15°.
S. clevelandii 'Allen Chickering'
Stiffly upright evergreen shrub to 4-5' tall. Whorls of lavender blue
S. clevelandii 'Aromas'
Larger growing. 'Whirly Blue' is similar.
S. clevelandii 'Winfred Gillman'
By far the darkest blue flowers. Dark burgundy red stems.
Salvia coahuilensis
3' tall; deep violet flowers. 15°.
Salvia coccinea
2'-3'; reseeds.  
• 'Crimson King' is bright red;
• 'Brenthurst' is bright pink;
• "Louis' Brilliant" is scarlet. 15° - 20°.
Salvia confertiflora
8' tall, 10' across! Furry, dark-orange flowers. 20°.
Salvia 'Costa Rica Blue'
4'-6' tall with bright, true blue flowers. 20°.
Salvia 'Dara's Choice' -- SONOMA SAGE
Low, spreading with grey-green lvs., purple flowers. 10°.
Salvia darceyi
Formerly known as Salvia oresbia, this is a most satisfying sage. Upright, can reach 6' with support . Bright red flowers. 4".
Salvia 'Dark Dancer'
3' tall, dense shrub, with rich red-violet flowers. 15°.
Salvia discolor
Sparse to 3-4' tall, nearly black tubular flowers with woolly white calyx. 25°.
Salvia elegans -- PINEAPPLE SAGE
Fragrant foliage. Tops damaged at 25°.
• 'Compacta' grows to 2'-3', with bright red flrs.
• 'Frieda Dixon' grows to 4'-5', with coral pink flrs.
Salvia forskaohlei
Basal rosette of 8" lvs; spikes of violet flrs. marked with white. To 0°.
Salvia fulgens (cardinalis)
Erect, arching growth to 6' or more, with soft dark green leaves and bright orange red flowers. 20°
Salvia gesneriiflora 'Tequila'
To 8' tall! Bright foliage, scarlet flrs, black calyx. Damaged at 25°; roothardy to 20°.
Salvia glechomaefolia
Spreads by rhizomes; 1' tall, bright green lvs, small violet flrs. 20°?
NOTE: Included in the S. greggii list are hybrids (with S. microphylla), which some place into a separate hybrid species S. x jamensis.
Salvia greggii
2-1/2' to 5' tall, depending on the strain. Hardy to 15°. Sun to part shade.
S. greggii 'Annie'
Hot lipstick pink. 
S. greggii 'Big Pink'
Sharp pink flowers with a broad lip.
S. greggii 'Caviar'
Light salmon pink flowers on a relatively compact, vigorous plant
S. greggii 'Chiffon'
Large, pale yellow flowers.
S. greggii' Cienega de Oro'
Light creamy yellow flowers; low, compact habit.
S. greggii 'Coral Sunrise'
Bushy to 3'; deep coral pink with black calyx.
S. greggii 'Dark Dancer'
Dark plum magenta, low upright habit.
Salvia greggii 'Flame'
Dark red flowers, dark sepals. Compact habit, to 3' tall.
S. greggii 'Lipstick'
Light red flowers and a vigorous compact habit.
S. greggii 'Moonlight'
Moonlight yellow. 
S. greggii 'Nuevo Leon'
Small dark purple flowers, low spreading habit
S. greggii 'Pink Caddy'
Similar to 'Big Pink,' but with a more intense color


Salvia greggii purple
Dark violet purple flowers. Compact, spreading to almost trailing habit.
Salvia greggii rose pink
Intense, electric rose pink flowers are narrow, with dark sepals.
Salvia greggii salmon
Soft salmon pink flowers. Plant is low, open, to 30" tall, 3' wide.
S. greggii 'San Isidro Moon'
Pale peach flowers with a darker backing. Open growth.
Salvia greggii 'Sierra San Antonio'
Flowers appear peach colored
S. greggii 'Wild Thing'
Glowing, orange-red.
Salvia guaranitica
To 6' tall, with medium to deep blue flowers. 20°.
S. guaranitica 'Argentina Skies'
Bright green leaves, sky blue flrs.
S. guaranitica 'Omaha Gold'
Mottled leaves, large blue-violet flrs.
Salvia 'Indigo Spires'
Dark blue flowers emerging from dark indigo blue sepals. Can reach 6-7' tall by 10' wide if unpruned, but can be held to 4' by 6'. Will grow in a considerable amount of shade. 15°.
Salvia leucantha -- MEXICAN SAGE
Deciduous perennial to 4' tall. Lvs grey green, felty whitish undersides. Fuzzy violet purple flower spikes, small white flrs with purple sepals. 15°?
S. leucantha 'Figueroa'
Selected for better cold tolerance.
S. leucantha 'Figueroa' purple

Same as the previous, but with violet purple flowers to match the sepals.
Salvia madrensis
To 8' tall, spreads by rhizomes! Golden yellow flrs in fall and winter. Damaged at 25°, roothardy to 15°.
S. madrensis 'Maraschino'
Numerous small, bright cherry red flowers. 20°.
Salvia melissodora -- GRAPE-SCENTED SAGE
Shrubby growth; lavender/dark purple fragrant flrs. 25°.
Salvia mexicana
To 6'-10' tall; large (3") flrs bright blue with black calyx. Damage at 25°, hardy to 20°.
Salvia microphylla -- GRAHAM'S SAGE
Evergreen  shrub to 2' tall and 4' wide. Slender spikes of small rose red flowers with dark calyces. Hardiness varies. (also called S. grahamii)
S. microphylla -- Belize form
Dark colored stems and bright green leaves. Bright red flowers, vigorous, upright to 5' tall, 8' wide unpruned.
S. microphylla 'Berzerkeley'
Upright then spreading 24" tall by 3-4' broad. Rose red flrs, dark calyx.
S. microphylla, var. neurepia
3'-5' tall and broad; bright red blossoms like S. greggii. 10°.
S. microphylla 'San Carlos Festival'
2'-3' tall, twice as broad; large magenta flrs. 15°.


Salvia muelleri
Like a smaller S. greggii. Violet flrs. 15°.
S. muelleri 'Mulberry Jam'
5' tall and wide, spikes of deep violet magenta flowers. 25°.
Salvia officinalis -- KITCHEN SAGE
To 2'-3' with equal spread. Flrs are lavender to violet. 0° or lower.

• 'Berggarten' is lower,
• 'Variegata' is variegated with yellow,
• 'Purpurea' is tinge with purple,
• 'Tricolor' is dark green, cream, and purplish.
Salvia patens -- GENTIAN SAGE
2' tall with large, deep clear sapphire blue flowers. 20° or lower.
Salvia pink (unnamed selection from Monterey Bay Nursery)
Hot fluorescent pink flrs. 3' by 6', can be kept lower. Spreads by stolons . Full sun (coast only) to mostly shade.
Salvia 'Purple Majesty'
5'+ with velvet, deep purple flrs. 25° or lower.
Salvia regla Huntington form
4-5' tall and wide, striking orange red flowers, tolerates hot, dry conditions in full sun or quite a bit of shade. 10°.
Salvia roemeriana
Forms tight clumps; 1' stems with tubular scarlet flrs. 10°.
Salvia sinaloensis
To 2' tall and wide; small dark purple blue flowers.
Spreads by underground stolons.
Probably killed below 25°F.
Salvia somalensis
3'-5' tall and wide; small lavender flrs. 20° - 25°.
Salvia sonomensis
Prostrate grey chaparral native with deep purple flrs. 15°.
Salvia spathacea 'Kawatre'
Forms clumps with 6-8" leaves; large clusters of magenta flrs, changing to orange-red. Very aromatic. Tolerates shade. 5° - 10°.
Salvia splendens 'Van Houttei'
to 3' tall, 5', with deep burgundy maroon and orange red flowers and bracts. Best in part shade, probably killed below 25°F.
Salvia superba
Generally to 2' tall; hardy to 0°.
S. superba 'Blue Hills' -- BLUE QUEEN
Compact basal clump with dark blue flowers to 18" tall.
S. superba 'Compacta'
Glowing purple flrs on 10" spikes.
S. superba 'May Night'
Up to 2' across, 12" spikes of purple flrs.
S. superba 'Rose Queen'
Rose/burgundy flrs.  
Salvia thymoides
2' grey bush with bright blue flrs.needs good drainage. 15° - 20°.
Salvia uliginosa
To 4-5', clear, light azure blue flowers. 15°.
Salvia 'Waverly'
Foliage like S. leucantha, flowers are light lavender pink maroon violet sepals. 15°?
Salvia x jamensis
[Listed with its parent S. greggii.]



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© 2004 Don Shor, Redwood Barn Nursery, Inc., 1607 Fifth Street, Davis, Ca 95616
www.redwoodbarn.com
Feel free to copy and distribute this article with attribution to this author. Click here for Don's other Davis Enterprise articles