Fantastic Salvias

by Mary Adams

As a youngster growing up in Ohio, I thought the name “salvia” referred only to the short, fire-engine red annuals my mother planted in our back yard one summer. They stand out in my memory for two reasons: it was the first and last time my mother ever bought a flowering plant, and the day after she planted them, most of their blossoms had been mysteriously sliced off, leaving only green stems poking out of the ground. Lucky for me, the culprits were caught in the act the following morning — five baby rabbits who wandered in from the woods behind our house.

As an adult living in Florida for the past several decades, I still see these standard annual red salvias. They work well in most locations where a fairly short plant is needed, from shopping center medians to home landscapes. But for my yard, I prefer perennial salvia varieties, both for their height (many are taller), and for their multitude of color choices, which range from pale yellow to deep purple.

Salvia is both the common name and genus name for these spiky-shaped plants with tubular flowers. Something like 800 to 900 different species are grown around the world, and quite a few do well in Florida. Like other plants in the mint family, salvias have square stems and aromatic leaves. Most cooks have used the dried leaves of the culinary herb, Salvia officinalis. But you won’t find it by that name in your cupboard; instead look for the common seasoning affiliated with poultry — sage. Once a gardener picks up on the mutual background of the culinary and ornamental plants, it’s easier to understand why the names “salvia” and “sage” are often used interchangeably when talking about these flowering ornamentals.

For a laid-back, nature-loving gardener like me, salvias fill the bill on several levels. Not only are they drought tolerant, but they actually grow best in poor soil, as long as there is good drainage. Their tubular flowers attract hummingbirds to my yard, as well as bees and butterflies. Plus, with many varieties ranging in height from three to seven feet, they add a vertical element to my garden. As a bonus for those of us living in north Florida where freezing temperatures in winter are the norm, many of my salvias, after dying down to the ground, sprout again in spring. Most of them will then bloom from early summer until the first frost.

Some of my favorites include the Florida native known as tropical sage (Salvia coccinea). With its vibrant red color, it pops in any location. I once read that this is the variety that Thomas Jefferson planted at Monticello. Mine seem to do best in partial shade and informal settings, as they are a self-seeding plant. But if the wind carries the seed, they can move themselves to new locations.

My other salvias tend to stay where I plant them. These include ‘Black and Blue’ sage (Salvia guaranitica), with its black calyx (the cup-like base of the flower), and the lavender Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha). For the front of a bed where I need a shorter variety, mealy cup sage (Salvia farinaea), with its neat, tightly-clustered flowers in blues or white, is just the ticket.

Others I count as favorites include the gorgeous ruby-red scarlet sage (Salvia splendens ‘Van Houttei’) and purple sage (Salvia splendens ‘Brazilian Purple’). Forsythia sage (Salvia madrensis) adds its yellow blooms to my fall landscape.

In my garden, hiding among my salvias, you’ll find a faux garden rabbit. His nose poking out of an abundant flush of summer growth makes me smile, as I fondly recall the red salvias and baby rabbits of my childhood home.

Mary Adams earned her degree in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Florida, Gainesville.

© 2014 Mary Adams. Originally published in Florida Gardening, Apr / May 2014. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Suggested Reading

The New Book of Salvias: Sages for Every Garden, by Betsy Clebsch

Sources

Plant Delights Nursery

(919)772-4794

www.plantdelights.com

Swallowtail Garden Seeds

(877)489-7333

www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com