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This Salvia list is comprised of all of the salvia species and varieties that I have found in California nurseries.   I have planted most of them in a garden somewhere to see how they grow and have rarely been disappointed.  I am sure there are more varieties out there that I will continue to find and add to this Salvia List.

The Genus Salvia is represented with a wide range of plants both from the new world and the old.  There are plants from the tropics as well as from more temperate regions. Some will make it where it is down right cold.  While others are damaged or even killed with a light frost.  With this wealth of diversity of source material there is an amazing array of species and hybrids to choose from.  And many are  available at a number of nurseries.  Given the right species they can be put to almost any purpose found for an herb or shrub.

I use sages as bedding plants with species such as Salvia spectabilis and Salvia farinaceae 'victoria'.  

California's native sages include Salvia apiana, Salvia carduacea, Salvia columbariae, Salvia dorrii,  Salvia leucophylla, Salvia mellifera, Salvia spathacea.  These sages provide much of the naturally occurring food for attracting  hummingbirds during the winter.

   The edible herbs are Salvia elegans and Salvia vulgare and it's various cultivars.  The garden should be full of foods and fragrance.

Sages can be well represented perennial border using Salvia chiapensis, Salvia lyrata, Slavia muelleri, Salvia regla, Salvia superba, and Salvia urica, 

Silver and grey gardens can be enhanced by a wealth of Sages including Salvia argentea, Salvia apiana, Salvia aurea,  Salvia dorrii,  Salvia chamaedryoides, Salvia clevelandii, Salvia discolor, Salvia karwinskii, Salvia lanceolata, Salvia leucantha, Salvia leucophylla, and Salvia verticillata.

Tropical gardens can always use a splash of color and the tropical sages are excellent in providing that with  Salvia aurea, Salvia cacaliaefolia, Salvia chiapensis, Salvia confertiflora, Salvia dorisiana, Salvia gesneriiflora, Salvia indigo spires, Salvia involucrata, Salvia iodantha, Salvia karwinskii, Salvia madrensis, Salvia Purple Majesty, Salvia regla, Salvia puberula and Salvia wagneriana.  Tropical sages are great plants for attracting hummingbirds at all times of he year.

A number of sages are quite drought tolerant, some even drought requiring.  If you are trying to keep your water consumption under control the following would be a good choice; Salvia columbariae, Salvia dorrii, Salvia blepharophylla, Salvia canariensis, Salvia carduaceae, Salvia clevelandii,  Salvia greggii cultivars, Salvia lanceolata, Salvia leucantha, Salvia leucophylla, Salvia mellifera, Salvia microphylla, Salvia semiatrata and Salvia spathacea.

Taking the opposite direction, when you just need to include a sage everywhere, there is the bog sage, Salvia uliginosa, and Salvia lyrata can take a soggy situation as well.

Fragrance is a very important factor in the garden for me.  A list of fragrant sages might be a good way to conclude.  Salvia apiana, Salvia clevelandii,  Salvia dorisiana, Salvia elegans, Salvia mellifera, and Salvia melissodora are all good fragrant choices.

The New Book of Salvias: Sages For Every Garden

 by Betsy Clebsch

This is a great book on a subject that is a hot topic in the nursery.   There are more salvia's becoming available in the trade on a regular basis, 150 are treated here.   To this point many of us have had to guess about what these plants would turn into.   This book has helped to mark the way.  I recommend it heartily.  I would love to see more subjects treated this thoroughly.