Salvia farinacea
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Salvia amabilis
- Salvia virgata
- Phonetic Spelling
- SAL-vee-ah fair-in-ah-SAY-ah
- Description
-
Blue sage is a herbaceous perennial in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Growing 1.5 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide, it is native to the South Central United States and northeast Mexico. The flowers have a long bloom season. The name Salvia is derived from the Latin term salveo, which means ‘be well’ and refers to the plant's medicinal properties.
Grow this sage in full sun or partial shade. It prefers well-drained, moist soil but tolerates dry clay soil. Although blue sage is reliably perennial only in the outer coastal plain, it grows beautifully during the spring, summer, and fall and functions as an annual in the mountains and piedmont. Propagate it by stem cuttings or seed.
Different cultivars offer flower colors from blue to purple and even white. It is an excellent bedding plant that looks neat and attractive all summer. Because the flower spikes are strong and upright it makes a good cut flower. Plant this sage in annual beds, along borders, and in naturalized areas. It is an ideal plant for butterfly, cottage, drought tolerant or pollinator gardens. This plant is seldom damaged by deer.
Quick ID
- Erect herbs with square stems
- Opposite ovate-lanceolate leaves
- Chalices short, cup-like, inconspicuous teeth
- Corollas zygomorphic, large lower lip, blue-purple
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It is susceptible to downy and powdery mildew.
VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Courtyard Garden
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Blue Bedder'
- 'Celebration Blue'
- 'Rhea Dwarf Blue'
compact (12-16 inches) with purple-blue flowers on dark purplish stems. - 'Sallyfun Blue Emotion'
- 'Victoria'
large, intense violet-blue flowers and dark stems
- 'Blue Bedder'
- 'Blue Bedder', 'Celebration Blue', 'Rhea Dwarf Blue', 'Sallyfun Blue Emotion', 'Victoria'
- Tags:
























- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Blue Bedder'
- 'Celebration Blue'
- 'Rhea Dwarf Blue'
compact (12-16 inches) with purple-blue flowers on dark purplish stems. - 'Sallyfun Blue Emotion'
- 'Victoria'
large, intense violet-blue flowers and dark stems
- 'Blue Bedder'
- 'Blue Bedder', 'Celebration Blue', 'Rhea Dwarf Blue', 'Sallyfun Blue Emotion', 'Victoria'
- Tags:
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-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Salvia
- Species:
- farinacea
- Family:
- Lamiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- S. Central U.S.A. to NE. Mexico
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
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-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 8b, 8a, 9b, 9a, 10b, 10a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
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-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Good Cut
- Long Bloom Season
- Flower Shape:
- Lipped
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are blue to purple; calyx minute, short-cylindric, teeth obscure, blue beneath mealy-white pubescence; corolla zygomorphic, blue to purple, short, tube to .3 inches long, lower lip enlarged, upper lobes short. Inflorescence is a terminal. interrupted, verticillate raceme; verticillasters 10-16 flowered.
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-
Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are opposite, short-petiolate, ovate-lanceolate to narrowly oblong, irregularly serrate, minutely pubescent, acute, rotund to attenuate, minutely pubescent.
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-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Square
- Stem Description:
- square
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Dry Soil