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Index : Landscape Plants
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- 31. Select the Right Salvia(s) for Your Desert Landscape - Top
If you're a recently transplanted Northerner, when you think of Salvias, no doubt you think of the garden variety of the genus, Salvia splendens. Planted as an annual, the Scarlet Salvia or Sage can be grown here in pots and flower beds in spring and fall. But there are a number of other "perennial" Salvias that are truly desert-adapted. Many are native to the Chihuahuan Desert, some to California. All are heat tolerant, and most are water thrifty. They come in a range of sizes, and colors including; red, purple and blue and white.
If you have limited space or are in need of colorful plants to fill in at the base of taller shrubs consider Salvia farinacea (Mealy Cup Sage), Salvia chamaedryoides (Mexican Blue Sage) or Salvia greggii (Red Chihuahuan Sage). All can be maintained under 3 feet in height.
S. farinacea is the smallest of the Sages, just a foot tall. Depending on the variety, Mealy Cup comes in several different colors including, white, blue and violet-blue. Plants are compact with dense flower spikes setting above attractive silvery-green foliage. This is a great plant to use as an edging, border or ground cover.
S. chamaedryoides, another small sage grows to a height and spread of 2 feet. Mexican Blue Sage has small true, blue flowers. The flowers are scattered on spikes set above small, but dense, silvery-green foliage. Most of the blossoms appear in spring and fall, but flowering can be extended into the summer with regular irrigation.
S. greggi is probably the most commonly used sage. It's a standard for most landscapers so you probably already have it in your yard. Red Sage is tough-as-nails in terms of drought and cold tolerance. Its short red to purplish-red flower spikes are set atop dark green foliage. Plants are commonly 2 feet tall and wide. Flowers are most abundant in the spring but it will bloom sporadically through the summer and into autumn. Red Sage does require pruning back from time to time to keep it full and compact.
If you have a need for larger growing sages consider Salvia clevelandii (Cleveland Sage), Salvia leucophylla (Purple Sage) or Salvia leucantha (Mexican Bush Sage). These are perennial shrubs that will typically reach a height and spread of 4 feet. They can be used as background planting for smaller shrubs, or at the corners of the house to blend it with the landscape.
S. clevelandii, is a mounding plant 3 to 4 feet high and up to 6 feet wide. Cleveland Sage has blue-violet flowers, arranged in a tiered effect on tall upright spikes. The flowers, most abundant in spring and early summer are long lasting and hold up well in dried flower arrangements. The leaves of this sage are green and aromatic, and are used to make tea.
S. leucophylla, is much like clevelandii in that it to has a mounding form, 3 to 4 feet high and spreading up to 6 feet. But Purple Sage has pinkish-purple flowers that dot the flower spike every few inches with in round clusters of tubular flowers. This sage should also be cut back heavily in the winter to promote spring flowering.
S. leucantha, grows about the same height as the two previously mentioned Salvias, but has a more upright form and thus does not grow as wide. Mexican Bush Sage has attractive gray-green foliage, and arching purple-on-white or purple-on-pink flower spikes. Since flowering occurs only on new growth, Mexican Sage should be cut back to near the ground in the winter to encourage new growth in the spring.
Most Salvias benefit from "dead-heading". This is the removal of spent flower spikes before they have a chance to go to seed. Dead-heading will encourage additional blooming and will extend the normal flowering period.
Regular irrigation will also improve flowering and foliage quality on Salvias. The smaller Salvias; farinacea, chamaedryoides, and greggii benefit from weekly watering during the hot part of the year, then every two weeks during the winter.
Of the taller species; S. clevelandii requires only occasional watering during the summer, but every week or two from fall to spring. S. leycophylla should be watered at intervals to allow the soil to dry somewhat between watering. S.leucantha should be watered every week during the hot season and every other week during the cool months, for best results.
Finally, as with all flowering plants, some small amount of flowering plant food added in late March or early April can improve flowering. I prefer the granular fertilizers because they provide nutrients to the plants over a longer period of time than the liquids. Just a half-cup of ammonium phosphate (16-20-0) or similar fertilizer per plant is all you need. Be sure to water it into the soil after application.
"Protecting Plants From Summer Heat and Sun " is the topic for this week's garden demonstrations. They will be presented on Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the Pima county Extension Center, 4210 N. Campbell Ave; and at 1 p.m. at the Wilmot Library, 530 N. Wilmot Road; and again on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Marana Planning Services, on the corner of Orange Grove and Thornydale next to Sam Levitz Furniture Store.
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. - Updated: May 18, 2003
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