Which group of plants is most important to California gardeners? This is debatable, but Salvia, commonly known as sage would undoubtedly be my answer. It’s not so much that other genera are unworthy of recognition, but as a group the salvias comprise a huge range of sizes, forms, colors and uses unequaled for our Mediterranean gardens.

The entire spectrum of flower colors is represented, from the pure white of S. apiana to the incredibly black S. discolor; from the blighted (appearing) brown flowers of S. africana lutea to the intense blue racemes of S. uliginosa. The S. coccinea group provides some of the most eye-catching reds so attractive to hummingbirds. Even more exciting color selections are currently coming from the variable species S. greggii which at last count in the BHN database was 53 varieties!

For a colonizing habit (some say invasive) S. chamaedryoides is hard to beat. For winter flowers in the Bay Area S. leucantha is foolproof. For a tough and drought tolerant ground cover, you'll find S. sonomensis. And for its culinary value S. officinalis can be grown in almost any conditions where drainage is adequate. Several sages can be grown in containers including S. coahuilensis, S. farinacea, S. microphylla grahamii 'Red' or 'Purple' and S. semi-atrata. Other salvias create showy mounds of color for dry hillsides, such as S. clevelandii or the hybrid 'Bee's Bliss'. One of the largest growing sages is Salvia gesnerifolia 'Tequila' which develops into a massive shrub covered with multitudes of showy red flowers with distinctive black sepals.

If you’re growing sages for the first time, most if not all are attractive to bees. I welcome these visitors in my garden but folks with small children or sting allergies may choose to avoid them. And not all salvias are perennial…but most are in their best appearance by late summer.

Somewhere, somebody is reading this article, saying “I can't believe he didn't mention Salvia ______, it has been amazing in my garden”. Yes, it’s true; with hundreds to choose from it seems like folly to mention only a handful. Look for an ample supply in both 4-inch pots and one gallon size cans now, and if you need help planning for special conditions don’t hesitate to ask.

– Paul

The New Book of Salvias

Check out 'The New Book of Salvias' by Betsy Clebsch in our book department. It contains a wealth of information on this group and offers a local perspective.

Hardcover / 344pp
$29.95