The Mountain Gardener: Salvia genus offers hundreds of options

“Gardening is a way of showing that you believe in tomorrow.” — Anonymous
If salvias have any say in the matter, there will be lots of tomorrows. This large genus of plants in the mint family contains about 900 species, excluding hybrids and cultivars. Salvias are native to Europe, Africa, Asia, Mediterranean, and Central and South America, including our southwest. The name “salvia” is from the Latin word salvere (to save) referring to the long-held belief in the herb’s healing properties.
There’s a salvia of every color and purpose for the garden. Recently, I enjoyed touring the salvia garden at Cabrillo College and also revisited my friend, the “Hillbilly Gardener,” and his collection of salvias in Scotts Valley. I was joined by dozens of hummingbirds and even more happy bees. The showy display of flowers, ranging from blue to red, apricot, soft yellow, purple, pink and even white, was breathtaking.
Ernie Wasson, the nursery and garden curator with the Ornamental Horticulture Department at Cabrillo, explained that they grow 150 types at the college, all of them propagated there. Three years ago, he hosted a salvia summit, which attracted many visitors from as far away as Kew Gardens in England, Australia and New Zealand.
Many salvias have hairs growing on the leaves, stems and flowers, which help reduce water loss. Sometimes, the hairs secrete volatile oils that give a distinct aroma to the plants. This often results in the plants being unattractive to grazing animals and some insects. Other species are tolerant of wet feet and grow in boggy conditions.
Some of the standout varieties at the Cabrillo garden included big Mexican scarlet sage (Salvia gesneriiflora “Tequila”). Blooming with huge red, tubular flowers in the shade, we sampled the sweet nectar again and again. Two sages that smelled like Vicks were Salvia somalensis from Somalia and African blue sage. The bees liked one called Mystic Spires Blue best, while we loved the fragrant leaves of Tutti Frutti sage (Salvia dorisiana) from Honduras. Salvia cinnabarina smelled like, well, you can guess: cinnamon. The truest blue plant in the world, the Gentian sage (Salvia patens) was a showstopper. It spreads slowly from tuberous roots.
Have a wet spot? Try bog salvia (Salvia uliginosa). Want a smaller variety that lasts for along a time? Try a microphylla type, like Hot Lips.
Salvia greggii varieties, although stunning, do not survive as long in the garden. I learned that the famous Hot Lips salvia was brought back from Oaxaca, Mexico, from cuttings by Dick Turner of Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco. The original plant was bought by a maid for a housewarming gift. If you’ve ever wondered why the flowers of this plant are sometimes bicolor and other times mostly red, it has to do with the season. When the nights are warm in summer, the new flowers are all red, with an occasional solid white one. As fall approaches, the flowers again will be bicolored red and white.
Another showy variety growing both at Cabrillo and at my salvia aficionado’s garden in Scotts Valley was Red Velvet sage (Salvia confertiflora). This spectacular late-blooming sage from Brazil grows 5 to 8 feet tall with large, foot-long flower stalks that work well in flower arrangements, both as a fresh-cut flower and dried. It will grow in light shade under redwoods. Salvia chiapensis blooms from spring to fall in this Scotts Valley garden. Another long-blooming favorite is Phyllis’ Fancy, which has just begun to flower but will continue ’til frost. This lovely sage with lush-looking foliage grows 4 feet tall by 4 feet wide and fits into most gardens.
I saw more than 20 varieties of salvia in this Scotts Valley garden, but I’m sure there are many more tucked away that weren’t blooming. From the brilliant red of Holway’s sage to the soft magenta of Louis Saso salvia to the compact Dara’s Choice, this garden has a salvia for every spot and a spot for every salvia.
Jan Nelson, a landscape designer and California certified nursery professional at Plant Works in Ben Lomond, will answer questions about gardening in the Santa Cruz Mountains. E-mail her at

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