Meadow Sage Salvia nemorosa
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Sclarea nemorosa
- Sclarea punctata
- Phonetic Spelling
- SAL-vee-uh nem-or-OH-suh
- Description
-
Woodland Sage is a clump-forming deciduous perennial in the mint family native to Europe and Asia. The violet-blue flowers appear on dense spike-like racemes from June to September. Flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies. Once the plant has bloomed and the stem has turned brown, cut it down to the basal leaves and new flowers will appear. They often repeat bloom more than once.
This is an easy plant to grow in full sun to partial shade in average, moist, well-drained soil. It prefers sandy or gravelly soil but tolerates most well-drained soils.
Use in the front of the perennial border in groups of 3 or more for the best effect. Useful in a pollinator garden, cottage garden or along walkways and small spaces.
Many cultivars exist to extend the flower color and size range available.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Pollinator Garden- Full Sun Floricyle
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Balyriclu' Lyrical™ Blues
Dark burgandy buds violet blue flowers, compact - 'Caradonna'
Dark purple stems and blue-violet flowers - 'May Night'
Dark violet blue purple flowers in May-June - 'New Dimension Rose'
vivid rose pink flowers on upright 10-12" flower stalks. - 'New Dimensions Blue'
Dark blue flowers, 1-2 feet tall
- 'Balyriclu' Lyrical™ Blues
- 'Balyriclu' Lyrical™ Blues, 'Caradonna', 'May Night', 'New Dimension Rose', 'New Dimensions Blue'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Balyriclu' Lyrical™ Blues
Dark burgandy buds violet blue flowers, compact - 'Caradonna'
Dark purple stems and blue-violet flowers - 'May Night'
Dark violet blue purple flowers in May-June - 'New Dimension Rose'
vivid rose pink flowers on upright 10-12" flower stalks. - 'New Dimensions Blue'
Dark blue flowers, 1-2 feet tall
- 'Balyriclu' Lyrical™ Blues
- 'Balyriclu' Lyrical™ Blues, 'Caradonna', 'May Night', 'New Dimension Rose', 'New Dimensions Blue'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Salvia
- Species:
- nemorosa
- Family:
- Lamiaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The leaves have been used in Turkish medicine to stop bleeding by applying externally.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe and west-central Asia
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- 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:
- High Organic Matter
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8b, 8a
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Good Cut
- Showy
- Flower Shape:
- Lipped
- Tubular
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Lavender to violet-blue flowers with reddish-purple bracts densely packed in whorls on racemes held above the leaves June to September in flushes.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 3-4 inch long green or gray-green leaves have a wrinkled appearance and toothed margins. Aromatic when crushed.
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-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Square
- Stem Description:
- Square green stems
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Walkways
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Bats
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Hummingbirds
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Pollution
- Rabbits
