Summer and Salvias

By Kirti Mathura

We use salvias, or sages, from several different regions in our low desert gardens. Particularly at this time of year they could be reacting differently to seasonal conditions. Some are flamboyantly full of blooms as others struggle or even give up if their needs are not being met. With conscientious placement of the plants and species-specific seasonal care, you should be able to bring your salvias through any season, including the summer.

Although the heaviest bloom occurs in the spring and fall, Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii) can be putting on a colorful show during the monsoon season. In the lowest of areas in the desert, it needs mid-day to afternoon shade or filtered sunlight all day.  Under a Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida or P. microphylla) is an ideal location for this sage, allowing for light shade during the summer. A bit higher in elevation it would be fine in full-day sun. With a good amount of warming sun during the winter, Autumn Sage could potentially offer a flush of bloom at that time as well. This sage typically reaches 2 to 3 feet in height and width. The tubular, lipped flowers are available in variations of red, pink and white. Any color will attract hummingbirds to sip the nectar. The small oval leaves are pleasantly aromatic when brushed against.

At this time of year, Chaparral Sage (Salvia clevelandii) can be a challenge in the lower areas of the Sonoran Desert. It grows naturally in southern California, where there isn’t much summer rain. It has adapted to the hot dry seasonal conditions by slowing down and taking a rest. A portion of the foliage will drop, and the remaining leaves will be small and often on the dry side. Since there isn’t much moisture in the soil, the roots become less active as well. This sage will often have its roots attacked by fungus when faced with wet soil and high humidity during our monsoon period. When growing Chaparral Sage here, the most important strategy is to provide excellent soil drainage and resist over-watering during the summer when the plant starts to look a bit shabby. It will perk up again in mid or late September with renewed foliage growth. By late March the plant will be covered with whorls of light purple tubular flowers that will draw butterflies and hummers to your garden through June. The grey-green foliage is extremely fragrant with a sweet sage scent. Chaparral Sage is best located in partial sun to full sun. Too much shade will make it leggy and the bloom performance will be diminished. Expect this sage to get 4 to 5 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide.  

If you enjoy the delightful fragrance and blooms that Chaparral Sage offers, but don’t have the proper drainage to get it through the summer successfully, try Trident™ Sage. This three-way hybrid of Salvia mojavensis, S. clevelandii and S. dorrii also needs good soil drainage, but it is a bit more forgiving than Chaparral Sage. Trident™ has small silvery-green leaves that are very aromatic. From March into June whorls of pale purple flowers lure  hummingbirds and butterflies with nectar. This sage will develop to 3 feet tall and wide.  Locate it in a sunny spot in your garden.

White Sage (Salvia apiana) develops large whitish-green aromatic leaves.  It grows 3 to 5 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. In late winter, bloom stalks will begin to develop.

Through spring, white to pale pink flowers open along the stems that can rise 3 to 5 feet above the plant, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. White Sage has the same cultural requirements as Chaparral Sage — make sure it has adequate drainage.

Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha) is another showstopper when in bloom during the fall months and possibly in the spring.  It has velvety rosy-purple or rosy-purple and white tubular flowers that get hummingbird and butterfly visits. Upright stems originate from the base of the plant, creating a mounding form 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. The foliage is slightly greyish-green above and a more pubescent whitish-green below.  Mexican Bush Sage is best planted in filtered sunlight or morning sun with afternoon shade for the summer, but it can grow in full sun with careful watering. It prefers well-draining soil. This sage is easy-going through the summer months. If it gets cold enough during the winter the stems will die back. In this case, clip the stems at ground level at winter’s end to allow new growth to fill in. If the winter is harsh enough, re-growth may be too slow for a spring bloom.

For a shaded spot in your landscape where moisture will tend to linger longer in the soil, Red Sage (Salvia coccinea) is perfect. This sage is a short-lived perennial (enduring only a few years) that can reseed itself easily to continually offer plants. With bloom stems it reaches 2 to 3 feet in height. Deep red tubular flowers appear continually through the year for both you and the hummingbirds to enjoy. By the time a stem has had about two cycles of bloom it will look pretty scruffy. Clip it back to the ground and new stems will sprout from the base of the plant to fill in.  This is another sage that offers varying flower colors.

There are many more species and cultivated varieties of sages available for our desert landscapes. They add so much color and fragrance, and seasonally invite butterflies and hummingbirds to our gardens. Think about which salvias you would like to add to your garden this fall – planting season is just around the corner!