The Sages are a large genus, up to 800 species, of annuals, perennials, and shrubs. The flowers are tubular, with two lips, the lower one usually spreading. Flower color is generally red or blue, but pink, white, and even yellow are possible. Most bloom in late summer and fall. Salvias require sun and a well drained soil. None of these are reliably hardy here in Zone 6, but they provide such spectacular color in the garden at the end of the season that we would not do without them. Northern gardeners may consider growing them as annuals. Most strike easily from cuttings and they can be wintered indoors with a minimum of trouble. Our Salvia collection has grown so large that we've had to divide them into two pages. The hardier sages are on the Salvias page. In some cases the plants are new to us and we have had to make an educated guess about hardiness. We also have a Salvia Gallery of images. Not all of the Salvias pictured in the gallery are available at any one time.

Salvia ‘Anthony Parker’ is the result of an unlikely cross between S. leucantha and S. elegans, surprisingly it does not resemble either parent. It is shrubby and upright with purple flowers and purple calyxes in late summer and fall. It reminds me of a more formal Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’ but with slightly smaller flowers.

51000 Salvia ‘Anthony Parker’    Add to Cart  
Sun / 3-4’ / Zone8-10 / Summer-Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.

Salvia blepharophylla ‘Diablo’ is a Yucca Do introduction with intense scarlet flowers over a long season. Well adapted to hot, humid climates.  

51225 Salvia ‘Diablo’ Sold Out
Sun-Part Shade / 24-30” / Zone8-10 / Summer-Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea. 

Salvia buchananii has burgundy stems and large, fuzzy, fuchsia flowers over a long season. Leaves are small and glossy.

51400 Salvia buchananii    Add to Cart  
Sun / 18” / Zone9-10 / Summer-Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.

I first saw Salvia cacaliifolia at Brookside Gardens where they used the intense blue flowers and semi-vining habit to great advantage in hanging baskets. Also attractive spilling across a path or over a wall.

51500 Salvia cacaliifolia    Add to Cart   
Sun / 2-3’ / Zone9-10 / Summer-Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.

Salvia chiapensis has small fuchsia flowers, but many per stem. This has been a champion bloomer for us, starting in early summer and blooming constantly until frost.

551700 Salvia chiapensis     Add to Cart  
Sun / 2-3’ / Zone9-10 / Summer-Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $9.95 ea.

Salvia involucrata var. hidalgo, the Rose Bud Sage,  has flowers that start as round, dusty rose pink buds, then open to rose pink calyxes with bright pink flowers. The total flowerhead is large and showy. This variety starts blooming for us in mid summer and continues until frost. It is a large plant with strong straight stems and makes a good cut flower.

54100 Salvia involucrata var. hidalgo    Add to Cart  
Sun / 3-4’ / Zone8-10 / Summer-Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $9.95 ea.

From Betsy Clebsch’s garden, Salvia ‘Mulberry Jam’ is probably a cross with S. involucrata as one of the parents. Much smaller and earlier blooming, this is a good choice if you don’t have room for the standard Rose Bud Sage. The dark pink blooms start as large rosebuds and open to clusters.

554200 Salvia ‘Mulberry Jam’   Sold Out
Sun-Part Shade / 3-4’ / Zone8-10 / Summer-Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.

Salvia leucantha is the Mexican Bush Sage, one of the most imposing of the tender Sages. It forms a large, shrub-like plant in a single season. The flowers are white, but surrounded by showy purple calyxes, the size and shape of a pussy willow catkin. Very unusual and attractive and a great long lasting cut flower.

54300 Salvia leucantha  Sold Out
Sun / 3-5’ / Zone8-10 / Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.

The Forsythia Sage, is a very large plant and probably only appropriate in the background of a large border. The large flowerheads are bright yellow with bright yellow calyxes, showy but very late blooming (mid October in VA). The stems are very large and thick, in jointed segments. From a distance it looks like it was put together from a giant Lego set. Salvia ’Red Neck Girl’ is is a selected form of Salvia madrensis with deep burgundy red stems.

554505 Salvia ’Red Neck Girl’    Add to Cart  
Sun / 5-6’ / Zone8-10 / Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.

Salvia melissodora (Grape Scented) is a fast growing species with gray-green, spade shaped leaves and lavender purple flower spikes in summer. The blooms are fragrant and with a little imagination they could be considered grape scented.

554625 Salvia melissodora (Grape Scented)   Sold Out
Sun / 3-5’/  Zone9-10 / Summer Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.

Salvia mexicana ‘Limelight’ is a handsome sage even when not in bloom. The leaves are gray green with contrasting light veins. The plant has a full shrubby appearance with deep purple flowers. This is another late bloomer (October-frost) but the very showy, chartreuse bracts come in early September and are great as long lasting cuts.

54700 Salvia mexicana ‘Limelight’ Sold Out
Sun-Part Shade / 4-5’ / Zone9-10 / Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.

Salvia miniata, the Belize Sage, has attractive, dark green, very glossy leaves. Long blooming with flowers that are redder than red. In nature it grows in the moist forests of Central America, and would probably prefer some shade in the South, but we grow it in full sun where the foliage takes on burgundy highlights.

54900 Salvia miniata    Add to Cart  
Sun-Part Shade / 2-3’ / Zone9-10 / Summer-Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.

We are very pleased with this shrubby little African Sage, Salvia murii. The flowers are a beautiful light blue with a white eye and they are produced from late spring until fall. It seems to require full sun and good drainage and makes a great container plant.

555000 Salvia murii    Add to Cart  
Sun / 6-12” / Zone9-10 / Spring-Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.

Salvia oppositiflora, the Peruvian Salmon Sage, has long, fuzzy, salmon orange flowers from striped calyxes. The leaves have a pebbled texture.

55200 Salvia oppositiflora    Add to Cart   
Sun-Part Shade / 2-3’ / Zone9-10 / Summer-Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.

Salvia ‘Phyllis Fancy’ is a recent introduction from UC Santa Cruz with white tinted lavender blooms and long-lasting bracts, in form like Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’ but with a tighter, compact habit.

55350 Salvia ‘Phyllis Fancy’   Add to Cart    
Sun / 3’ / Zone9-10 / Summer-Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.

Salvia ‘Waverly’ is a very long blooming newcomer, with S. leucantha as one parent. The white flowers are similar to the Mexican Bush Sage, but without the purple calyxes. Compact habit.

556600 Salvia ‘Waverly’    Add to Cart    
Sun-Part Shade / 2-3’ / Zone8-10 / Summer-Fall Bloom / Quart Pots / $8.95 ea.