Gardening Plants & Flowers Flowers

10 Popular Species of Salvia Plants

Growing and Care Tips for Popular Salvia Varieties

Purple salvia flowers

The Spruce / Krystal Slagle 

Salvia is quite a large genus of plants that includes annuals, perennials, and even shrubs. There are more than 1,000 species in the genus, many of which carry the common name "sage" and dozens of which are common garden plants.

The Salvia genus fits into the mint (Lamiaceae) family of plants, and, predictably, many of these species have a strong, pleasant scent, making them attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. While most salvia species are technically perennials, some of the most popular are more often planted as annuals in colder regions. The majority of salvia plants are known for their long bloom period, which sometimes can extend from late spring into fall. If nothing else, these plants are guaranteed to inject dependable color into your garden design.

Salvia Growing Tips

  • Plant salvia in the spring around late May or early June well after the last frost has passed.
  • The best place to plant any salvia is in a spot with full sun and well-draining soil.
  • Salvias do not have many problems with diseases and only a few pests bother the plants, such as aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies. Be sure to use an insecticidal soap if you see evidence of an infestation.
  • Deadhead flowers in midsummer when they fade and become brown to encourage more blooms.

Read on for 10 popular salvia species to consider for your garden.

Tip

Salvia plants are known to thrive in dry, even rocky, soil, so they can be a good choice if you have poor soil. They're extremely easy to care for, but keep in mind that salvias won't do well in wet, boggy conditions.

  • 01 of 10

    Scarlet Sage

    Red blooms of the scarlet sage

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida 

    A familiar plant, scarlet sage (Salvia spendens), also known simply as red salvia, is technically a tropical perennial, but it's more commonly grown as an annual. The species has bright scarlet flowers, but there are some cultivars that offer white, salmon, pink, lavender, burgundy, and orange blossoms. These workhorses bloom from June all the way to frost. Scarlet sage is used so often that many people consider it dull, but, if you need to inject a splash of red into a sunny landscape, few plants outperform this one.

    • Name: Scarlet sage (Salvia spendens)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10–11 (grown as an annual elsewhere)
    • Height: 12–24 in. tall
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil: Moist, well-drained, neutral to acidic
    • Flower Color: Red
  • 02 of 10

    Mealycup Sage

    Purple flowers on the mealycup sage
    All American Selections

    Mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea) comes in a variety of blue, purple, and lavender cultivars, including the popular 'Victoria Blue' and 'Evolution'. The former has genuinely blue flowers, which is somewhat unusual and thus highly desirable. Mealycup sage has an even longer bloom period than scarlet sage, producing flowers from May until frost.

    • Name: Mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 7–11 (grown as an annual elsewhere)
    • Height: 1–3 ft. tall
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil: Moist, well-drained, neutral to acidic
    • Flower Color: Blue, purple, lavender
  • 03 of 10

    Texas Sage

    Red flowers on the Texas sage

    The Spruce / Marie Iannotti

    Texas sage (Salvia coccinea) is another red-flowered salvia, but there are also cultivars of it with pink and coral blooms. 'Summer Jewel Pink', one of the prettiest salvias, is a smaller plant (20 inches) that blooms with dainty but profuse flowers from late spring to early fall. It's most commonly grown as a perennial in warm climates but can also be used as an annual if seeds are started indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost.

    • Name: Texas sage (Salvia coccinea)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 8–10 (grown as an annual elsewhere)
    • Height: 1–2 ft. tall
    • Light: Full, partial
    • Soil: Rich, loamy, clay, sandy, adaptable pH
    • Flower Color: Red, pink, coral
  • 04 of 10

    Woodland Sage

    Purple flowers on the woodland sage
    Hana Richterova / Getty Images

    Woodland sage (Salvia nemerosa), also known as violet sage or blue hill salvia, is a perennial salvia that blooms in various hues of purple and lavender from June to September. These vigorous plants bear lance-shaped leaves and many spikes of purplish-blue blooms. Many gardeners deadhead the spent flowers (or trim them with pruning shears), but they sometimes bloom throughout the summer even without deadheading. Removing the spent flowers keeps the plant looking tidy. Popular cultivars include 'Marcus', 'Caradonna', 'Sensation', and 'Blue Hill'.

    • Name: Woodland sage (Salvia nemerosa)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–8
    • Height: 8–24 in. tall
    • Light: Full
    • Soil: Well-drained
    • Flower Color: Purplish-blue
    Continue to 5 of 10 below
  • 05 of 10

    Autumn Sage

    Autumn sage with magenta flowers
    Christi Carter Photography / Getty Images

    Autumn sage (Salvia greggii) is a perennial, shrubby salvia plant that blooms with hot pink flowers from summer through early fall. Two popular cultivars are 'Wild Thing', which has pink-hued flowers and is considered a more cold-hardy plant, and 'Raspberry Delight', which has deeper pink blooms. In very hot climates, this plant will appreciate a bit of afternoon shade. Like other salvias, autumn sage will attract bees and butterflies to your garden.

    • Name: Autumn sage (Salvia greggii)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6–9
    • Height: 2–3 ft. tall
    • Light: Full
    • Soil: Well-draining, versatile pH
    • Flower Color: Red, pink, white, violet, peach, orange
  • 06 of 10

    Wood Sage

    Purple flowers of the wood sage

    By Eve Livesey / Getty Images

    In addition to the popular salvia species and their cultivars, there are also hybrid salvias, such as Salvia x sylvestris, commonly known as wood sage. Wood sage is a cross between S. nemorosa and S. pratensis. A very popular cultivar of this hybrid is 'May Night' ('Mainacht'), which blooms with blue-violet flowers from May to June. Another good cultivar is 'Pink Dawn', a shorter plant (18 inches) with pink flowers.

    • Name: Wood sage (Salvia x sylvestris)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–8
    • Height: 18–24 in. tall
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Well-draining, acidic
    • Flower Color: Dark purple-blue
  • 07 of 10

    Common Sage

    Green leaves of the common sage
    Gabriele Hanke / Getty Images

    Common sage (Salvia officinalis), the familiar culinary herb, is also a member of the Salvia genus. This woody-stemmed perennial, which will sprawl unless it receives full sun, works both in herb gardens or as an ornamental plant in border gardens or rock gardens. The lavender-blue flowers bloom on spikes in June.

    • Name: Common sage (Salvia officinalis),
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–8
    • Height: 24–30 in. tall
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Loamy, sandy, well-drained, acidic, neutral
    • Flower Color: Lavender-blue
  • 08 of 10

    Pineapple Sage

    Pineapple sage with scarlet flowers
    David Russell / Getty Images

    Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) is a shrubby, tender perennial that earns its name from its pineapple-like scent, which is evident when the leaves are crushed. Wispy scarlet flowers bloom from late summer to mid fall. Some gardeners grow this salvia plant in containers and overwinter them indoors. It tolerates light shade and prefers very warm climates.

    • Name: Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 8–10 (grown as an annual elsewhere)
    • Height: 3–4 ft. tall
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Moist, well-drained, neutral
    • Flower Color: Red
    Continue to 9 of 10 below
  • 09 of 10

    Mexican Bush Sage

    Mexican bush sage with purple flowers

    Photos Lamontagne / Getty Images

    An evergreen perennial with a shrubby growth habit, Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) blooms with purple or white-and-purple flowers from late summer until frost. The blossoms are unusually attractive and profuse, making this salvia plant a favorite for late-season container gardens. Butterflies and hummingbirds are very fond of this species, which has velvety, grayish-green leaves.

    • Name: Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 8–10 (grown as an annual elsewhere)
    • Height: 2–3 ft. tall
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Moist, well-drained, versatile pH
    • Flower Color: Purple, pink, white
  • 10 of 10

    Diviner's Sage

    Green leaves of the diviner's sage

    David J. Stang/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0 

    Diviner's sage (Salvia divinorum), known among its enthusiasts simply as "salvia," is rarely grown as an ornamental. While it has attractive purple flowers, the plants don't bloom readily, and the stalks are prone to breaking. The plant has a long history of ceremonial use by the Mazatec tribes of southern Mexico.

    This salvia rarely produces viable seeds, so those who seek to grow it usually obtain plant cuttings or buy live plants from online vendors. The legal status of diviner's sage is evolving: The plant is now illegal in some U.S. states and decriminalized in others. Before growing it, always check your state laws.

    • Name: Diviner's sage (Salvia divinorum)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9
    • Height: 3–5 ft. tall
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil: Moist, well-draining
    • Flower Color: Purple

Learn More

Read on to learn about other types of salvia and alternatives to grow in your garden.

FAQ
  • Are salvia plants annuals or perennials?

    There are over 1,000 species of salvia. Many are annuals, but some are hardy or tender perennials that can come back every year. Mostly, they are treated as annuals in colder American regions.

  • Do salvias prefer sun or shade?

    Most salvias thrive in the full sun but can also handle living in partial shade. However, expect that your plants living in partial shade may experience a diminished bloom output.

  • Should you deadhead salvia flowers?

    When the flowers have died off, you should remove or "deadhead" them, taking them off the plant. Deadheading will stimulate your plant to grow.