The Nature of Things

Salvia, commonly called sage, is the largest genus of plants in the very large mint family, Lamiaceae . Within the genus, there are nearly a thousand species. They include a wide variety of growth forms such as shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. Some even have hallucinogenic properties. There are salvias that are native to practically every region of the world. One that is native to the rocky soils in Central, West, and South Texas, as well as Mexico, is Salvia greggii , often called autumn sage or cherry sage. I grow many different kinds of salvia in my garden, but I have to admit a particular fondness for Salvia greggii . These salvias are characterized by small, dull pale green, glandular, aromatic leaves. They are essentially small evergreen shrubs that have a loose, open growth. They normally have red flowers, although, through the work of horticulturists, you can now find them in many different colors, including orange, yellow, fuchsia, salmon, purple, red-violet, burgun...