 | Flowers by the Sea grows all the hundreds of plants in this catalog, which are mainly the sages (Salvia spp.) in our A to Z list. The green menu banner at the top of this page also shows plants grouped by characteristics, origins and uses. Using our menu, you can search Salvias by topics, such as the color of their flowers, the seasons in which they bloom, their cultural needs for sun and water, the USDA Cold Hardiness Zones in which they thrive and the kinds of sages that appeal to butterflies and hummingbirds. You can also look by origins, which is particularly helpful for native plant gardeners. However, if you know the scientific or common name of the Salvia you want and just need to see if we carry it, the A to Z list is a quick route to that information. Salvia gains its name from the Latin word salvare which means to heal or save. Herbalists have used various species for centuries as folk medicines. Nowadays, medical researchers are studying many sages, which are also gaining popularity as long-blooming landscaping plants that require little fuss. With about 900 flowering species -- including annuals, perennials and shrubs -- Salvia is the largest genus in the mint family (Lamiaceae or Labiatae). Salvias are noted for their mint-family traits of square stems and double-lipped, tubular flowers. Many are intoxicatingly fragrant. The genus contains about 900 species worldwide with its largest concentrations native to the Americas, the Mediterranean, Central Asia (including Turkey) and the Far East. Some plants from other Lamiaceae genuses are included in the A to Z list, because they are so closely related to Salvias that we tend to think of them as true sages. The A to Z list encompasses single representatives of species as well as species for which we offer so many cultivars, such as the Autumn and Mountain Sages (Salvia greggii and S. microphylla spp.), that they have their own subcategory in the Special Salvia Groups part of our index. Sages are endlessly fascinating due to their diversity. They offer a broad array of long-blooming, vibrantly colored flowers. Their leaves range from fuzzy to glossy with shapes and sizes varying from smooth lances tinier than the nail of a little finger to toothed, rumpled foliage broader and far longer than a man's hand. Many are perfect for dry, full-sun gardens while some do well in shady areas with excessive moisture. Sages save many a gardener facing difficult growing conditions. |
(White Trophy Gentian Sage) White Trophy loves partial shade and is the finest white Salvia patens available, with very large flowers that age to pale blue.
(Big Pitcher Sage) As its scientific name indicates, this sage has very large flowers. They are almost two-tone, changing from deep violet to a light blue or white at their base where they are cupped by dusky purple calyxes.
(Indigo Meadow Sage) When massed, this European sage compels attention during summer with its upright, foot-long spikes of deep violet-blue flowers and hairy, gray-green, basal foliage.
(Bi-Color Meadow Sage or Meadow Clary Sage) Exceptionally cold tolerant, Salvia pratensis 'Proud Mary' is our own seed-grown strain of a plant identical to the patented S. pratensis 'Madeline'.
(Meadow Sage or Meadow Clary Sage) Meadow Sage is widespread in Europe, where it grows among other perennials and grasses. We use this plant in herbaceous borders, in containers, or anywhere we need a bright floral display with strong, dark green foliage.
(White Meadow Sage) Whorls of pure white flowers shaped like parrot beaks rise on tall spikes from the wrinkly, basal foliage of Salvia pratensis 'Swan Lake'. The large, mid-green leaves have attractively serrated edges.
(Black Dan-shen) Growing into a basal rosette of leaves measuring up to 3 feet across, Salvia przewalskii 'CC5795' is known for its handsome foliage and deep purple, almost black flowers.
(Dan-shen Gansu) Growing into a large basal rosette of leaves measuring up to 3 feet across, Salvia przewalskii var. mandarinorum is known for its handsome foliage.
(El Butano Downy Sage) El Butano is a horticulturally rich area of Cumbres de Monterrey National Park in the mountains of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. El Butano Downy Sage was discovered in this area where it grows at elevations of 4,500 to 8,000 feet.
(Nuevo Leon Downy Sage) From the high mountains of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. This unusual variety has very large flowers in loose clusters. Early to bloom and more cold tolerant than other Downy Sage varieties, it is ideal for gardens on the edge of it's climatic adaptability.
(Rosebud Pink Hybrid Sage) Protective, magenta pink, leaf-like bracts surround the buds of Salvia pulchella x involucrata like a hug, bursting open and eventually falling away as the fuzzy flowers blossom.
(Autumn Purple Sage) Small but numerous, the flowers of this sage are a variable shade of light purple that is unlike any other we grow. Native to Southern Mexico and Guatemala, this shrub regularly grows up to 5 feet tall (or taller) and 4 feet wide.
(Raspberry Delight Sage) Dark raspberry-red flowers, burgundy stems and calyxes and deep green foliage make this one of our most attention-grabbing varieties.
(Bolivian Mountain Sage) Neon lilac-pink flowers light up the handsome, furry foliage of this distinctive sage from high in the Andes cloud forests. Its large, textured leaves have dark, velvety purple undersides. Unhappy in dry heat, this is a very showy plant for humid climates.
(Turkish Cliff Sage) Spring into early summer, Turkish Cliff Sage produces erect, branching flower spikes 24 to 36 inches long that rise from basal foliage. They’re covered with whorls of pale pink blossoms with delicate white markings.
(Recurved Sage) At home in the shady, high-altitude cloud forests of Southern Mexico and Guatemala, this large, lush sage requires a warm, moist climate. In cool climates, it can handle full sun. However, partial shade is a better choice in most gardens.
(The Queen's Sage) Regal spikes of lavender-to-purple flowers give weight to this sage's common name. It provides a stately show of bloom during summer in USDA Zones 6 to 10. Cold hardy and heat tolerant, this impressive perennial comes from the mountains of Turkey.
(Orange Mountain Sage) This is the reddest of the Salvia regla species and the most floriferous. Side by side with the other varieties, this one is a bit taller and has darker flowers.
(Autumn Sapphire West Texas Grass Sage) Butterflies and honeybees particularly favor this West Texas mountain native. In contrast to the true blue flowers of regular Salvia reptans, this cultivar has deep blue blossoms and is remarkably compact.
(Summer Skies West Texas Grass Sage) Butterflies and honeybees particularly favor this West Texas mountain native. In contrast to the true blue flowers of regular Salvia reptans, this cultivar has purple blossoms with cloud-like, lavender-to-white throats.
(Bolivian Lace Leaf Sage) A large decidious woody shrub, this is a distinctive and somewhat unique Salvia species. The large clusters of deep blue flowers appear in the spring and again in the fall. A native from a tropical savanna climate in Bolivia, this species grows best in climates with year-round warmth.
(Confused Argentine Sage) Similar in many ways to the indispensable garden favorites of the Anise Scented Sage (Salvia guaranitica spp.) group, this plant is a perfect companion for its better known cousin.
(Mount Olympus Sage) The deep violet and white flowers of Salvia ringens are eyecatching. Their wiry, branched spikes rise up to 5 feet tall from a dark green basal rosette.