Gardening Flowers Perennials 31 Gorgeous Salvias to Bring Color and Fragrance to Your Garden By Sheryl Geerts Sheryl Geerts Website Sheryl Geerts is an editor and author who has nearly three decades of writing and editing experience. She enjoys writing about garden, food, and home topics. Her bylines have appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Allrecipes, Martha Stewart Living, and several other publications. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on July 12, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Peter Krumhardt Salvias (also called sages) are a diverse group of plants that offer colorful flowers, scents, and even flavors. Some also have pretty foliage. Most are easy to grow, drought-tolerant, bloom abundantly, and look gorgeous in the landscape. Use this guide to find the best types of salvia for growing in your garden. 01 of 32 Types of Sage Plants Jason Wilde According to the Herb Society of America, there are more than 900 different types of salvia. These include Salvia officinalis, which is garden sage, the culinary herb used to flavor and garnish food. This plant is a perennial that will come back each year where it's hardy. There are also annual and biennial types of salvias, and some are woody shrubs. 02 of 32 Blue Salvia Deb Wiley A favorite plant for many gardeners, blue salvia is an easy perennial to grow. It flowers profusely all summer, and tolerates periods of drought. It's a great choice for borders and containers, plus it's native to areas of North America. Season of Bloom: Spring to frost Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Plant in evenly moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 5-9 03 of 32 'Black and Blue' Salvia Peter Krumhardt A hummingbird magnet, 'Black and Blue' displays spikes of rich cobalt-blue flowers that emerge from purple-black buds on dark stems. The foliage has a faint anise scent. This perennial salvia is quite easy to grow and will reward you with gorgeous blooms year after year. Season of Bloom: Summer to fall Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Plant in evenly moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 5 feet tall Zones: 8-10 04 of 32 Clary Sage John Sylvester This is not your ordinary sage. Clary sage is a little different because its color comes from its leafy bracts that look like big pink, purple, or white flower petals. The bracts on this biennial salvia are long-lasting and dry well, making it a good cut flower and useful in dried-flower crafts. Season of Bloom: Summer Light: Full sun Water: Plant in medium moisture, well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 5-9 05 of 32 Culinary Sage Marty Baldwin A must-grow plant in herb gardens, culinary sage features wonderfully scented silvery-gray leaves and spikes of lilac flowers in early summer. It's a key ingredient in many container-garden combinations, Thanksgiving stuffings, and even in a few desserts. Even though this plant is a perennial, you'll want to replace the plants after a few years because the stems can become woody and sparse. Season of Bloom: Summer Light: Full sun Water: Plant in dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil Size: Up to 2 feet tall Zones: 5-8 06 of 32 Purple Sage Marty Baldwin While it's not quite as tasty or hardy as its silvery-gray cousin, purple sage offers more color in containers and beds and borders. Be sure to plant it where you can walk by and brush the foliage to release its herbal, pine-like scent. The purplish, oblong leaves are strongly aromatic and may be used fresh or dried in cooking. Season of Bloom: Spring Light: Full sun Water: Plant in dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil Size: Up to 2 feet tall Zones: 6-9 07 of 32 Variegated Sage Susan A. Roth Here's another extra-attractive member of the culinary sage group. Variegated sage features gray-green leaves irregularly edged in chartreuse. It produces purplish-blue flowers on spikes in late spring. Whether you grow it for its ornamental looks or for its flavor, it can easily be grown with other perennials in borders or rock gardens. Season of Bloom: Late spring Light: Full sun Water: Plant in dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil Size: Up to 2 feet tall Zones: 4-8 08 of 32 Tricolor Sage Marty Baldwin Grown primarily for its foliage, tricolor combines the best features of other sages. It displays silvery-green leaves edged in creamy white and blushed with purple. In addition to its great ornamental qualities, it can also be used fresh or dried in cooking as a seasoning. It's an excellent choice for growing as an annual in containers, especially in northern areas. Season of Bloom: Early spring Light: Full sun Water: Plant in dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil Size: Up to 18 inches tall Zones: 6-9 09 of 32 Red Salvia Peter Krumhardt A popular annual selected for its eye-catching color, red salvia is easy to grow. Like most other salvias, it offers scented foliage so deer and rabbits usually leave it alone. Commonly called scarlet sage, this plant flowers all summer long and is great for containers. Season of Bloom: Spring to fall Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Plant in evenly moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 2 feet tall Zones: 10-11 10 of 32 'Victoria Blue' Salvia David Goldberg A standout selection bred in 1978, 'Victoria Blue' is popular for its long-lasting flowers that are great for cutting. These salvias tolerate partial shade better than most varieties. This variety will help you attract butterflies to your garden. Season of Bloom: Spring to fall Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Plant in average, evenly moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 2 feet tall Zones: 8-10 11 of 32 'Cirrus' Salvia Bob Lenz 'Cirrus' is a delightful selection bearing spikes of pure-white flowers all summer and autumn. Like other forms of blue salvia, it shines with silvery foliage and adapts to different soil types. It's a good selection for cutting and makes a wonderful accent to selections with deep blue flowers. Season of Bloom: Spring to fall Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Plant in average, evenly moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 20 inches tall Zones: 8-10 12 of 32 'Evolution' Salvia Ed Gohlich The stunning variety, 'Evolution', won an All-America Selections award for its masses of deep violet-purple flowers appearing summer into fall. It's more compact than many other types of blue salvia and produces more flower spikes. Expand your garden's color combinations with this plant since its flowers are several shades lighter than other blue salvias. Season of Bloom: Early summer to fall Light: Full Sun Water: Plant in well-drained soil Size: Up to 16 inches tall Zones: 8-10 13 of 32 'Mystic Spires Blue' Salvia David Speer One of the most heat- and drought-tolerant annuals, 'Mystic Spires' offers tall spikes of blue flowers throughout the summer. It's an excellent plant for attracting butterflies. Contrast this variety's rich blue flowers and upright habit with a silvery skirt of trailing licorice plant. Season of Bloom: Summer Light: Full sun Water: Plant in dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 7-10 14 of 32 'Lady in Red' Salvia Peter Krumhardt An All-America Selections award winner, 'Lady in Red' presents vibrant red spikes of flowers all summer long. The medium green, hairy leaves are roughly triangular in shape with scalloped edges. Adored by butterflies and hummingbirds, gardeners love it for its low care requirements and brilliant blooms. In containers for gardening, it is often used as a filler that provides a mass of flowers and foliage against larger plants. Season of Bloom: Summer to fall Light: Full sun Water: Plant in well-drained soil Size: Up to 18 inches tall Zones: 8-11 15 of 32 'Coral Nymph' Salvia Peter Krumhardt Long-blooming 'Coral Nymph' adorns itself in spikes of coral-pink flowers from early summer to frost. Native to areas of South America, it holds up to hot, humid conditions well, though it's not as drought-tolerant as many other salvias. It's a top pick for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. Season of Bloom: Early summer Light: Full sun Water: Plant in average, well-drained soil Size: Up to 2 feet tall Zones: 8-11 16 of 32 Gentian Sage Laurie Black If you love blue, you'll probably fall in love with gentian sage, a tender perennial with two-lipped blue flowers. Butterflies and hummingbirds love the two-inch-long flowers that are known as the brightest royal blue blooms in the plant world. Get double the true-blue effect by growing gentian sage with plumbago. Season of Bloom: Summer to fall Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Plant in moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 8-10 17 of 32 'Blue Angel' Sage Peter Krumhardt With its vividly blue flowers, 'Blue Angel' is a garden showstopper that may garner more attention from garden guests than the scores of hummingbirds and butterflies it attracts. It bears fuzzy green foliage on a well-branched, upright plant. Create an easy-growing but delicate-looking combo with 'Blue Angel' sage and Diamond Frost euphorbia. Season of Bloom: Summer to fall Light: Full Sun to partial shade Water: Plant in moderate well-drained soil Size: Up to 28 inches tall Zones: 8-11 18 of 32 Mexican Bush Sage Bill Stites Grown as an annual in cold-winter climates to give gardens a fall finale, Mexican bush sage is a shrubby plant with velvet-like foliage and dense spikes of lavender-blue flowers. In warm-winter areas, this stunner blooms from winter to early spring. Gray-green leaves that are up to four inches long are paired up on this plant's square stems. Season of Bloom: Late summer to frost Light: Full sun Water: Plant in evenly, moist well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 8-10 19 of 32 Pineapple Sage Peter Krumhardt Rub one of pineapple sage's leaves and you'll be rewarded with a fresh, fruity scent. This fast-growing, fragrant plant supplies startlingly red flowers in fall. Grown as an annual in cool-season climates, pineapple sage is a perennial in warm-winter regions where it blooms from winter to spring. Season of Bloom: Late summer to fall Light: Full sun Water: Plant in even moisture, well-drained soil Size: Up to 4 feet tall Zones: 8-10 20 of 32 'Golden Delicious' Pineapple Sage Marty Baldwin This pineapple sage bears all the great attributes of its sister but notches up the impact with its bright golden-chartreuse foliage. Noted for its pineapple aroma, 'Golden Delicious' features soft-hairy, light green leaves up to three inches long on square stems. Hummingbirds and butterflies love this plant's two-lipped bright red flowers that appear in stunning contrast to its yellow leaves. Season of Bloom: Fall Light: Full sun Water: Plant in even moisture, well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 8-10 21 of 32 Silver Sage Julie Mikos Try something entirely different with silver sage, grown for its stunning fuzzy foliage. A biennial, it has lovely leaves the first year and then blooms with clusters of white flowers the second year. It's so lovely, though, many gardeners cut the flowers off to keep the focus on the foliage. Make a bold impression by planting silver sage with cardoon, which also presents eye-catching silvery leaves. Season of Bloom: Summer Light: Full sun Water: Plant in average, dry to medium well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 5-8 22 of 32 May Night Salvia Stephen Cridland The award-winning selection, May Night, offers spikes of deep blue-purple flowers in summer. If deadheaded, it reblooms. Leaves of this mint family member are aromatic, wrinkled and soft-hairy. Like most salvias, it's left alone by deer and rabbits and is a long-lasting cut flower. May Night salvia and 'Pomegranate' yarrow make a fuss-free, long-blooming combination that butterflies adore. Season of Bloom: Spring Light: Full sun Water: Plant in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil Size: Up to 2 feet tall Zones: 4-8 23 of 32 East Friesland Salvia Mark Kane A favorite for its long bloom season, East Friesland salvia is a mound-shape plant with spikes of violet-purple flowers in summer and fall. The notched, wrinkled, medium green to gray-green leaves are aromatic when bruised. For a classic blue and yellow flower garden idea, grow East Friesland salvia with 'Moonbeam' coreopsis. Season of Bloom: Summer Light: Full sun Water: Plant in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil Size: Up to 18 inches tall Zones: 4-8 24 of 32 'Plumosa' Salvia Denny Schrock Instead of thin spikes, 'Plumosa' salvia bears blooms in large purple plumes from early to late summer. This compact selection is perfect for the middle of a flower border. For added contrast, plant this salvia with the daisy-shape flowers of Pixie Meadowbrite purple coneflower. Season of Bloom: Summer Light: Full sun Water: Plant in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil Size: Up to 18 inches tall Zones: 4-8 25 of 32 'Hot Lips' Salvia Lynn Karlin An eye-catcher for the sunny garden, 'Hot Lips' features off spikes of white flowers. Each bloom is marked with a kiss-shape red marking. A fast-growing selection, 'Hot Lips' looks great in beds, borders, and containers. Plant 'Hot Lips' with lavender to revel in a wonderful soft scent and bold, bright colors. Season of Bloom: Summer Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Plant in average moist to somewhat dry soil Size: Up to 30 inches tall Zones: 7-10 26 of 32 Giant Purple Desert Sage Peter Krumhardt Native to California, giant purple desert sage is rarely grown in gardens, though it deserves to be. It's wonderfully heat- and drought-tolerant, bearing clusters of lavender-purple flowers all summer and fall over evergreen silvery foliage. Plant delicate white gaura next to this salvia to add a graceful texture. Season of Bloom: Summer to fall Light: Full sun Water: Plant in well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 5-9 27 of 32 'Raspberry Delight' Salvia Peter Krumhardt One of the longest-blooming salvias is 'Raspberry Delight'. It presents clusters of raspberry-red flowers all summer and fall. Like most salvias, it doesn't need much water and thrives in a sunny spot. Deer and rabbits leave it alone, but you'll rarely see it without a visit from a bee, butterfly, or hummingbird. The aromatic foliage has a sweet herbal scent. Season of Bloom: Summer Light: Full sun Water: Plant in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 6-9 28 of 32 Prairie Salvia Chipper R. Hatter Hailing from the prairies of North America, this salvia is an end-of-the-season stunner that produces tall spikes of lovely 2-lipped, sky blue flowers. It's great for cutting and a wonderful accent to mums, kale, and asters. Blue sage is a perfect planting partner for purple-leafed shrubs like Summer Wine ninebark. Season of Bloom: Late summer Light: Full sun Water: Plant in average, dry to medium well-drained soil Size: Up to 5 feet tall Zones: 5-9 29 of 32 'Wendy's Wish' Salvia Justin Hancock Discovered in Australia, 'Wendy's Wish' shows off bright pink-purple flowers all spring, summer, and fall. It has a compact habit and makes for a wonderful cut flower. This hybrid is one of the great salvias for shade. For a colorful cottage garden look, try planting this salvia next to 'Black and Blue'. Season of Bloom: Late spring to early fall Light: Full sun Water: Plant in evenly moist to dry, well-drained soil Size: Up to 4 feet tall Zones: 9-11 30 of 32 Yugoslavian Cut Leaf Sage Denny Schrock The low-growing salvia, Yugoslavian Cut Leaf Sage, is perfect for the front of the perennial border thanks to its fine-textured, feathery foliage and late-spring display of lavender-blue flowers. In especially hot, dry areas it may go dormant for the summer unless you keep it well watered. Add bright summer-long color by growing this sage with 'Oranges and Lemons' gaillardia. Season of Bloom: Late spring Light: Full sun Water: Plant in well-drained soil Size: Up to 2 feet tall Zones: 6-9 31 of 32 Purple Knockout Sage Marty Baldwin One of the few salvias grown for its foliage instead of its flowers, 'Purple Knockout' presents a low mound of deep purple leaves. It does bloom, but the white summertime flowers aren't particularly significant, though they do attract bees and butterflies. If you don't deadhead it, 'Purple Knockout' may self-seed, acting like a perennial groundcover. To add more color to your garden, contrast this sage's burgundy foliage with variegated 'Tequila Sunrise' coreopsis. Season of Bloom: Late spring/early summer Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Plant in well-drained soil Size: Up to 18 inches tall Zones: 4-9 32 of 32 Purple Sage Ed Gohlich Typically found on dry hillsides and in gravelly soils, purple sage, is tough, easy to grow and beautiful. Its highly aromatic lavender-purple flowers sit atop lush grey-green foliage and are attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds. Extremely drought-tolerant, purple sage makes a lovely silver foliage accent in native plant gardens. Season of Bloom: Spring to early summer Light: Full sun Water: Drought-Tolerant Size: Up to 5 feet tall Zones: 8-11 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit