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Lamiaceae
(Labiatae)
Mint Family
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Salvia regla --->
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- Mountain Sage -
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| One of the best fall-blooming
salvias |
| for sites receiving
afternoon shade. |
| Water this hummingbird plant
only |
| if wilted! |
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Agastache spp. and hybrids
- Anise Hyssop - Perennial only if given very well drained soil.
Ajuga reptams - Ajuga - Groundcover
Coleus amboinicus - Cuban
Oregano - Tender Perennial
Hedeoma - Mock Pennyroyal
- Groundcover
Hyssopus - Hyssop - Herb
Lavandula species - Lavender
- NOT RECOMMENDED in our poorly drained clay soils
Leonotis spp. - Lion's-Ear
- some are Perennial
Marrubium - Horehound - NOT
RECOMMENDED
Melissa officinalis - Lemon
Balm - Perennial Herb - The folaige of this 2' tall herb is used medicinally
or in the kitchen. It occasionally produces small, white blooms.
Mentha spp. - Mint - Perennial
| Monarda
bartlettii - Bartlett's Beebalm - Perennial
Monardas are widely grown
as ornamentals in much of this country, but most cultivars are ravaged
by powdery mildew. Bartlett's Beebalm, along with the related, crimson
flowered, Monarda pringlei, Pringle's Beebalm, are resistant to
that fungal plague. These perennial members of the Mint Family are found
in the northern parts of the Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. Both do best
with morning sun and afternoon shade, as well as good drainage.
Their terminal whorls of
blooms in mid- to late-spring attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The
oregano-scented leaves have culinary applications. Though they thrive in
central Texas, they are seldom propagated or sold. |
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Monarda pringlei - Pringle's
Beebalm - Perennial
Nepeta spp. and hybrids -
Catmint - Herb
Ocimum spp. and hybrids -
Basil - Herb
Origanum spp. and hybrids
- Oregano - Herb / Groundcover
Orthosiphon - Cat's Whiskers
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Perilla - Herb
Perovskia atriplicifolia
- Russian Sage - Perennial
Perovskia atriplicifolia
'Filigran' - 'Filigran' Russian Sage - Perennial - An outstanding selection
with deeply cut foliage. Needs full sun and can grow to 3' high and
4' wide. The blue flowers are produced from late spring until frost.
Perovskia atriplicifolia
- Russian Sage - Perennial
Perovskia atriplicifolia
'Filigran' - 'Filigran' Russian Sage - Perennial - An outstanding selection
with deeply cut foliage. Needs full sun and can grow to 3' high and
4' wide. The blue flowers are produced from late spring until frost.
Phlomis spp. and hybrids
- Jerusalem Sage - Short-Lived Perennial
Physostegia angustifolia
- Obedient Plant - Perennial
| Physostegia
correllii - Correll's Obedient Plant, Giant Obedient Plant - Also known
by the human parasites of endangered species as, "Correll's False Dragon-Head"
- Perennial
We were pleased to introduce
to cultivation one of the rarest plants of North America. While this clump-forming,
6' to 8' tall summer-blooming species is known from only five or six sites,
it is extremely easy-to-grow in full sun. If well-fed, its stems can be
up to 1" square at the base. The leaves, with coarsely toothed margins,
are thick and succulent, somewhat like a
Kalanchoe. Lavender-pink
flowers, spotted or streaked with purple, are slightly more than 1" long
and are borne on spikes that can exceed 2 feet in length. These plants
are propagated from rhizome divisions obtained from an undisclosed location
in the Texas Hill Country. Looks best if given a deep watering every week
during a dry summer. See more about this plant at this
page. |
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Poliomintha longiflora -
Mexican Oregano - Edible Perennial
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Arp'
- 'Arp' Rosemary - Perennial Herb
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Gorizia'
- 'Gorizia' Rosemary - Perennial Herb
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Irene'
- 'Irene' Rosemary - Perennial Herb
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Mrs.
Howard's' - 'Mrs. Howard's' Rosemary - Perennial
Herb
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Spice
Islands' - 'Spice Islands' Rosemary - Perennial Herb - A tall, narrow selection.
Needs full sun and perfect drainage.
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Tuscan
Blue' - 'Tuscan Blue' Rosemary - Perennial Herb
Salvia blepharophylla - Eye-Lash
Leaf Sage - Tender Perennial - Its red blooms are much larger than Cherry
Sage and it spreads by rhizomes. Cultivars include: 'Diablo', 'Dulces
Nombres' & 'Painted Ladies'.
Salvia chamaedryoides - Germander
Sage - Perennial - A dwarf shrub with blue to deep-royal-blue flowers on
low, spreading mounds of foliage. Requires full sun.
Salvia chionophylla - Indigo
Cherry Sage - Perennial - A compact, Cherry Sage cousin with deep indigo-purple
flowers and a wonderful foliar aroma.
Salvia coahuilensis - Coahuila
Sage - Perennial - Similar to S. chionophylla and S. chamaedryoides; with
small purplish flowers.
Salvia coccinea - Scarlet
Sage - Perennial - A weed, but a pretty one. In spite of its Latin name,
available in red, pink, white or bi-colored forms. Does best in semi-shade.
Caution: It self-sows readily.
Salvia farinacea - Mealy
Blue Sage - Perennial - Though it looks great as a wildflower, it tends
to suffer from powdery mildew in cultivation.
Salvia farinacea X longispicata
'Indigo Spires' - 'Indigo Spires' Sage - Perennial - It grows too large,
the leaves wilt most summer afternoons and its blue flowers are too small.
NOT RECOMMENDED due to its miniscule flowers.
Salvia farinacea X longispicata
'Mystic Spires Blue' - 'Mystic Spires Blue' Sage - Perennial – Similar
to 'Indigo Spires' Sage, but a dwarf selection, said to grow to 12” to
14 “. NOT RECOMMENDED due to its miniscule flowers.
Salvia greggii - Cherry Sage
- Perennial - The best-adapted salvia for most gardens; almost foolproof
in sunny sites. This excellent hummingbird attractant can grow to 3' high
and 4' wide. Cultivars include: 'Alba', 'Big Pink', 'Cherry Chief',
'Cherry Queen', 'Cherry Red', 'Compact Orange', 'Dwarf Pink', 'Furman's
Red', 'La Encantada Peach', 'Lowrey's Peach', 'Señorita Leah' &
'Yucca-Do Orange'.
Salvia greggii X muelleri
- Violet Cherry Sage - Perennial - A robust hybrid much like Cherry Sage,
differing only in flower color. Cultivars and forms include: Burgundy &
'Diane'. 'Dark Dancer' might belong here too.
Salvia guaranitica - Big
Blue Sage - Perennial - The best blue-flowered sage for semi-sunny sites.
Cultivars and selections include: 'Argentina Skies', 'Black & Blue',
'Blue Ensign', Brazil & Costa Rica.
Salvia guaranitica X gesneraeflora
'Purple Majesty' - Perennial - 'Purple Majesty' Sage - Produces deep-purple
flowers on 4' to 6' stems. Thrives with morning sun and afternoon shade.
Needs ample watering.
Salvia involucrata - Fuchsia
Sage - Perennial - Hummingbirds will not depart a garden so long as, these
inflated, velvety-textured fuchsia-red flowers are present. One of the
better fall-bloomers for semi-shade.
Salvia X jamensis - Jamé
Hybrid Sage - Tender Perennial in our poorly drained clay soils - A complex
hybrid group whose parents include S. greggii & S. microphylla. The
generally spindly plants need frequent clipping. I have seen them in habitat
in the mountains near Jamé, Coahuila where most clones of the vast
hybrid swarm had very small flowers. Cultivars include: 'Cienega
de Oro' (pale yellow), 'Devantville' (orange), 'La Luna' aka 'Moonlight'
(yellow), 'La Siesta' (pink), 'La Tarde' (pink & peach), 'Pat Vlasto'
(peach), 'San Isidro Moon' (light peach), 'San Takao' & 'Sierra San
Antonio' aka 'San Antonio' (bi-colored dark peach and yellow).
Salvia leucantha- Mexican
Bush Sage - Perennial - The flowers are usually white (violet-purple in
one form). The persistent and showy purple calyx gets all the attention.
Requires full sun. Cultivars include: 'Eder', 'Midnight' (purple flowers)
& 'Waverly' (probably a hybrid with S. chiapensis).
Salvia leucantha x elegans
'Anthony Parker' - Perennial - An unusual hybrid with dark purple flowers,
the result of chance pollination in a garden in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Salvia lycioides - Canyon
Sage - Perennial - Hard to grow in clay soil with irrigation. Has
blue flowers and wonderfully aromatic leaves. Hybrids with S. greggii
are not so delicate: 'Nuevo Leon Sage', 'Los Lirios' & 'San Isidro'.
Salvia lyrata - Lyre-Leaf
Sage - Perennial - A groundcover with very showy foliage for shady, woodland
gardens. It bears insignificant blue flowers and self-sows prolifically.
Salvia madrensis - Big Yellow
Sage - Perennial - A giant among Salvias, reaching up to 10 feet in late
fall as the large spikes of sticky, yellow blooms appear. For best results,
give it afternoon shade and mulch deeply.
Salvia mexicana - Mexican
Sage - Perennial - This species occurs as close as 60 miles from the Texas
border. This fall bloomer can grow to 8' high in sites receiving
late afternoon shade. Cultivars and forms include: 'Compton's Form', 'La
Placita', 'Limelight', 'Lollie Jackson', minor, 'Ocampo', 'Of
the Night', 'Puerto de la Zorra', 'Snowflake' & 'Tula'
Salvia microphylla - Little-Leaf
Sage - Perennial - Semi-evergreen mounds to 4 feet high and wide with red,
pink or purple blooms. Cultivars, forms and varieties include: '18
de Marzo', Deltoid-Leaved, grahamii, Hidalgo, 'Hoja Grande', Huntington,
'La Trinidad', neurepia, 'Orange Door', 'Rosita', 'San Carlos Festival',
'Wild Watermelon' & 'Zaragoza'. Hybrids with S. schaffneri include:
'Silke's Dream'.
Salvia microphylla X greggii
- Hybrid Cherry Sage - Perennial - Though these share the same parent species
as Salvia X jamensis, these are not derived ftom the hybrid swarm near
Jamé, Coahuila and in general have much larger flowers and live
longer in our clay soils. The following are available: 'Maraschino', 'Plum
Wine', 'Red Velvet' & 'Raspberry Royale'.
Salvia miniata - Belizean
Sage - Tender Perennial
Salvia muelleri - Violet
Cherry Sage - Perennial - A Cherry Sage cousin with violet to purple blooms.
I have seen this species in a spectacular and deep, rain-shadow valley
in the Sierra Madre Oriental southwest of Monterrey, one mountain range
south of the village of El Pajonal, the habitat of Agave albopilosa..
Salvia officinalis - Culinary
Sage - Short-Lived Perennial Herb
Salvia patens - True Blue
Sage - Perennial - Needs shade, perfect drainage and even moisture while
growing. Cultivars include: 'Cambridge Blue', 'Chilcombe', 'Guanajuato',
'Lavender Lady', 'Oxford Blue' & 'White Trophy'.
Salvia penstemonoides - Penstemon
Sage - Perennial - This graceful Texas native was rescued from the brink
of extinction to elevate our gardens with its tall spikes of wine-red flowers
in mid to late summer.
Salvia puberula 'El Butano'
- 'El Butano' Sage - Perennial - While this species is usually not reliably
winter-hardy, the clone, 'El Butano', from a high elevation site south
of Monterrey is spectacular every fall. Needs afternoon shade.
Salvia regla - Mountain Sage
- Perennial - Though clones from the Chisos Mountains are cold-hardier,
forms from near Saltillo are showier. Can grow 4' to 8' tall. Needs perfect
drainage and afternoon shade. Cultivars and selections include: Hidalgo,
Jame, 'Mount Emory' & 'Warnock's Choice'.
Salvia roemeriana - Cedar
Sage - Perennial - An outstanding Texas native for shade. Named 'Cedar
Sage' since it often grows under Ashe Junipers, called “Cedar” in the vernacular.
Has red, hummingbird-pollinated flowers spring through early fall, an evergreen,
over-wintering rosette and great drought-tolerance. Generally remains under
18" high.
Salvia schaffneri (this is
likely the correct name of S. darcyi) (S. oresbia included?) - Schaffner's
Sage - Perennial - Will produce a spectacular display of large red blooms
over mounds of attractive, aromatic foliage for many months. Best for wild
gardens since it spreads invasively by rhizomes.
Salvia sinaloensis - Sinaloa
Sage - Perennial - Produces low-growing mounds of foliage topped by short
spikes of sapphire-blue flowers. Best grown as a groundcover.
Salvia uliginosa - Bog Sage
- Perennial - Its miniscule blue flowers and invasive tendencies render
it unworthy of cultivation. NOT RECOMMENDED.
Satureja spp. - Savory -
Herb
Scutellaria suffrutescens
- Mexican Skullcap - Perennial - An evergreen perennial under 10" high
with pink or yellow blooms throughout the growing season. Does best in
full sun and is very drought-tolerant once established.
Solenostemon sp. & hybrids
- Coleus- Annual
Stachys - Lamb's Ears - Short-Lived
Perennial
Teucrium chamaedrys - Germander
- Perennial Herb - A low, evergreen old-world ornamental usually used as
a border in traditional herb gardens.
Thymus - Thyme - Herb, generally
short-lived in our clay soils.
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