Texas Salvias

 

Family: Lamiaceae (lay-mee-AY-see-ee)    Genus: Salvia (SAL-vee-uh)

 

By Tricia Bradbury, FBMG F2005

 

    There are over 900 species of salvia (not counting hybrids).  Most of the salvias grown in our area are native to California, Mexico and South & Central America, but you can find salvias in Africa, Asia, & Europe.  In fact, salvias are found growing in the wild on every continent except Australia and some of its smaller surrounding islands.

    There are several salvia species native to Texas.  First I planned to arrange them in alphabetical order, but decided to group them from the ones that grow farthest away and get closer until we are in our own backyard.

 

TRANS PECOS 

The Trans-Pecos is the region west of the Pecos River, bounded by the Rio Grande on the south and west, and on the north by the thirty-second parallel, which forms the boundary with the state of New Mexico.  Most of the region's physical and cultural landscape has little in common with the rest of the state. Although it constitutes about 11 percent of the area of Texas, the Trans-Pecos has received less attention than the more populous east.

 

Salvia arizonica (Arizona sage)

    Found in southern Arizona and the Trans-Pecos mountain area of Texas.  A loose mound of luxuriant verdant foliage and trailing stems 18" high x 2' wide, this salvia thrives in the partial shade of small trees and shrubs. Arizona Sage has a multitude of small, bright purple flowers June–July & again in September.  If you have property in the Hill Country, you might give this one a try.  Deer like to eat it, though.

 

Salvia lycioides (Canyon sage)

    Found in West Texas to New Mexico on dry limestone hills and canyons at high elevations.  Compact mounds of evergreen foliage only 18” tall are topped with cobalt blue blooms spring to fall. Prefers full sun.  If you have Salvia greggii, this salvia makes a great accent in front of it, but I’ve heard it will freely hybridize with S gregii.  You might try this one here if you have a rock garden.

 

Salvia pinguifolia (Rock Sage, Greaseleaf Salvia)
    Rock sage grows on the rocky limestone habitats of hillsides from 2000

feet to 7000 feet in extreme West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Mexico

in sun or partial sun. It is a small shrub growing 3-5 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide. 

In late summer and fall small lavender flowers cover its branch tips.  Its

rounded, scalloped, aromatic leaves are described by some as feeling greasy,

hence one of its common names.  It attracts bees and butterflies.  It is seldom

available commercially.  I wouldn’t recommend this one for our area.

 

Salvia pinguifolia

Photo from www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu

 

CHISOS MOUNTAINS

The Chisos Mountains are the heart of Big Bend National Park in southern Brewster County. They extend twenty miles from Punta de la Sierra in the southwest to Panther Junction in the northeast.  The highest peaks in the range are 7300-7800 feet. Shallow, stony soils on the mountains support a flora that includes Douglas fir, aspen, Arizona cypress, maple, ponderosa pine, and madrone.

 

Salvia regla (Mountain Sage, Royal Sage)
    In its native habitat mountain sage prefers the rocky soils of Central and South Texas, and the Chisos Mountains of West Texas. It also grows in Mexico. It is a small shrub growing 2-6 feet tall and up to 3 feet wide, having many basal stems and shield-shaped medium green leaves with tiny orange glands on the lower surface.  But it is its very conspicuous floral exhibit in early summer and again in fall which make it especially garden worthy.  Its 1-inch plus flowers have been variously described as "bright red", "flame red" and "vermillion red", and are extremely attractive to migrating hummingbirds.  In a garden, afternoon shade with good morning sun suits it best or bright filtered light all day.  Individual plants live 4 or 5 years on rich organic soils, but are easily propagated from stem cuttings. For bushier growth, it may be cut back in late winter.  It is adapted to desert conditions, but cannot take very cold temperatures.  The cultivar 'Mt. Emory' was developed by Benny Simpson, and is desirable for its greater cold tolerance; it is root hardy to 0 degrees F.  You should try this salvia.

 

 

EDWARDS PLATEAU

The Edwards Plateau, in South Central Texas east of the Pecos River and west of the Colorado, is the southernmost unit of the Great Plains.  It is an erosional region with thin soil over beveled limestone.

 

Salvia ballotiflora (Mejorana, Medjorana, Blue Sage, Shrubby Blue Salvia, Engorda-cabra, Crespa)
    Mejorana is a multi-stemmed small shrub which stands 2 to 6 feet tall and 1.5 to 3 feet wide.  It usually grows in full sun on shallow, rocky, sandy, gravelly or limestone hillsides or brushy areas of the Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains.  It produces small bluish flowers following a rainfall from spring throughout the summer and into fall.  Blue sage is not grazed by either livestock or wildlife, but is used as cover by small mammals.  In an irrigated garden it will need frequent touch-up pruning to maintain a pleasing shape.  Its dried leaves have been used to flavor meats and other foods.

 

Salvia roemeriana (Cedar Sage)

    This compact Texas native has brilliant red tubular flowers in the spring - much earlier than many other types of Salvia.  Hardy to Zone 7 and reseeds itself. Found in Edwards Plateau area of Texas.  This variety produces bright red flowers in shady areas.  The plant is small, growing usually to about a foot tall, and blooms through most of the spring and summer.  It is a good plant for growing under trees, and takes its name from the "cedars" of central Texas where it is native.  You should try this salvia.

 

HILL COUNTRY

"Hill Country" is a vernacular term applied to a region including all or part of twenty-five counties near the geographical center of Texas.  The Hill Country represents in large part a dissected plateau surface.  It is bordered on the east and south by the Balcones Escarpment, on the west by the relatively undissected Edwards Plateau, and on the north by rolling plains and prairies. The elevation nowhere exceeds 1,300 feet and is typically less than 1,000 feet.  Lying in the transition zone between humid and semiarid climates, the Hill Country experiences both wet and dry years.

 

Salvia texana (Scheele) Torr. (Blue sage, Texas sage)

Small shrub only 10“-18” tall with spikes of azure blue flowers appear above

the evergreen rosettes in spring and early summer.  Native to the Texas Hill

country, it loves alkali rocky soil and full sun, but needs good drainage.

 

                                                                                                        Salvia texana

                                                                              Photo from www.Uvalde.tamu.edu

 

 

PRACTICALLY IN OUR OWN BACKYARD:

Salvia azurea var. grandiflora Benth. (Blue sage, Pitcher sage)

    This is one of the varieties that will appreciate a little shade.  Growing naturally in both woods and prairies, the Pitcher Sage makes a tall background plant with lovely blue flowers with white centers.  It is easy to grow from seed and is a perennial that grows throughout the state (not in far west Texas, but even in several counties in the Panhandle) in almost any kind of soil that is well-drained.  Its best display is in the fall.  The slender, arching stems of blue sage grow 3-5 ft. long and are topped by fountains of clear-blue, tubular flowers.  The stems, which grow in clumps up to 3 ft. wide, are well covered with downy, linear leaves.

 

Salvia coccinea P.J. Buchoz ex Etlinger (Tropical Sage, Scarlet Sage)

    This showy southern native is characterized by the loose, widely spaced nature of the flowering spike.  It is found in the hot sands of the South from South Carolina west to Texas and south into Mexico and the Tropics.  Also known as Scarlet sage, this bright red (or pink or orange or white) variety is another salvia that is adapted to most soils and can grow in part shade or full sun.  It is perennial in the southern part of the state and an annual in colder regions.  It works best in areas where the soil is poor.  Over-fertilization turns this lovely flower into a rank weed.  Keeping it pinched back will make it more manageable and attractive. 

 

Salvia engelmannii Gray (Engelmann’s salvia, Engelmann's sage)

    Engelmann's sage is a 1-1 1/2 ft compact mound of velvety, narrow leaves and showy flower spikes.  Pale lavender, tubular flowers occur on 4-6 in. spikes.  This variety has purple-blue flowers that stay fairly low to the ground.  Growing to about 1 1/2 feet tall, this native hails from only 17 counties in Texas from central Texas north to Denton.  But that is a pretty big area…the equivalent of three normal US states.  It is not particular about soils and will take part shade or full sun.  Salvia engelmannii is another of those wonderful salvias that is strangely missing from the mainstream nursery trade.  S. engelmannii forms an attractive deciduous clump of light green leaves to 1' tall x 1' wide.  The clump is topped in June with short spikes of light blue-lavender flowers.  This should be a superb rock garden plant and although is may be easy to grow, good drainage is very important.

 

Salvia farinacea Benth. (Mealy-cup sage, Mealy sage, Mealy blue sage)

    This 2-3 ft. upright or sprawling perennial is native to Eastern & Central Texas and usually forms a mound as wide as the plant is tall.  Dark-blue to white, tubular flowers are densely congested in whorls along the upper stems, creating a 3-9 in. spike.  Gray-green, lance-shaped leaves are numerous, especially in the lower portion of the plant.  You don’t usually see the species plant in nurseries, but there are a multitude of cultivars from which to choose.

 

Salvia greggii (Autumn Sage, Autumn Salvia, Cherry Sage)
    Salvia greggii is a popular, usually evergreen small shrub growing natively in rocky soils in Central, West and South Texas, and Mexico.  It grows to about 3 feet by 3 feet, prefers sun or partial sun, has small, dulgreen, glandular, aromatic leaves, and blooms in spring, summer, and fall.  The normally red-flowered species also has white and pink forms and many named cultivars with slightly larger or smaller, rounder or more elongate leaves, varying growth habits from very upright to sprawling, and a wide range of colors.  Pale yellow, orange, salmon, fuchsia, purple, red-violet, burgundy, some with white variegation of leaves or flowers are commonly available.  This variety is perennial throughout the state except in the High Plains of west Texas.

 

Salvia lyrata L. (Lyre-leaf sage, Cancer-weed)

    Lyre-leaf sage is native to eastern and southern Texas.  It is a strictly upright, hairy perennial, 1-2 ft. tall.  Its pale-blue to violet, tubular flowers are arranged in whorls around the stem forming an interrupted, terminal spike.  Whorls of 3-10 lavender to blue flowers surrounding a square stem in an interrupted, spike-like cluster.  Large basal leaves are purple-tinged in the winter.  The exposed lower lip of salvias provides an excellent landing platform for bees.  When a bee lands, the two stamens are tipped, and the insect is doused with pollen.

 

Salvia penstemonoides Kunth & Bouché (Big red sage, Penstemon sage)

    Once thought to be extinct, this native has large blooms on tall flower spikes. Its

evergreen foliage stays low.  It grows in sun or part sun and blooms from June

through September.  It is hardy to Zone 7.  Sometimes growing to a height of five

feet, its burgundy-red tubular flowers are a favorite with the hummingbirds.  It is

found in Central Texas—very central—only in the Austin and San Antonio areas—

growing along stream banks amongst the limestone outcroppings. Herbicides,

erosion, and the lowering of the water table in the Texas Hill Country are its main

threats.  The San Antonio Botanical Garden maintains a collection in their

greenhouses and on the grounds.  It was rediscovered a little more than 10 years

ago.  At least one nursery outside Texas sells it.  Their stock came from plants

they bought at a sale at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

 

Salvia penstemonoides

Photo from www.cabrillo.edu

 

NOT FROM TEXAS, BUT THEY GOT HERE AS FAST AS THEY COULD:

 

Pineapple sage (S. elegans) Often used as a culinary herb, pineapple sage leaves have the wonderful fragrance of fresh pineapple. It is delicious as a tea or added to other herbs in drinks, fruit salads, or other dishes.  The bright red flowers are most profuse in the fall.  The plant grows to about 2-3 feet tall and likes full sun.

 

Mexican Bush sage (S. leucantha) One of the most popular salvias, this one has purple flowers accented with white.  There is also a cultivar with all purple flowers.  It grows to four feet tall with grayish green foliage.  The long velvety flower spikes bloom in summer and fall.  Needs full sun.  Should be in every garden that gets some sun.

 

Majestic sage (S. guaranitica) Also known as Big Blue sage or Big Purple sage, this is a big bushy plant growing to 5 feet tall and flowering profusely throughout the summer.  It likes some shade in the afternoon.  This is a favorite food plant of hummingbirds.

 

Indigo spires (S. longispicata x farinacea ‘Indigo Spires’) Actually, you could consider this one half Texan since S. farinacea is a Texas native.  This hybrid has deep blue bloom spikes up to 18" long.  It is a profuse bloomer and is perennial to Zone 8.  A compact variety was introduced in 2006 as ‘Mystic Spires’ and grows to only about half the size of ‘Indigo Spires’.

 

Smooth Leaf Sage (S. miniata) is a tender perennial generally grown as an annual in all but deep South Texas.  Bright red flowers are produced on sturdy, fast-growing plants from spring until frost.  It is a good shade plant that will grow to 3-4 feet tall and produce an upright tropical-looking plant.

 

Bog sage (S. uliginosa) Unlike most salvias, this variety loves wet feet.  Native to South America, this sage produces sky blue flowers on tall mint-looking plants.  It is perennial in Zone 8 and above.

 

Even though these salvias are not native to Texas, they do very well here.  Try them all!!

 

For more information about salvias, I recommend a lot of reading.  These are some of my favorites:

 

A Book of Salvias, Sages for Every Garden by Betsy Clebsch

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

The Gardeners Guide to Growing Salvias by John Sutton

 

References:

· Texas Native Plants Database: http://extension-horticulture.tamu.edu

· A Book of Salvias, Sages for Every Garden by Betsy Clebsch

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

· http://plants.usda.gov

· http://www.floridata.com

· http://www.cabrillo.edu/academics/horticulture/

salvias/html/index.html