Allen Chickering sage (Salvia 'Allen Chickering') is a profusely blooming mint with aromatic grey-green foliage and whorls of purple flowers. One shrub can perfume the whole garden on a warm, summer afternoon.  It is a popular hybrid of purple sage (Salvia leucophylla) and Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii.) As such, it is a plant of the chaparral and coastal sage scrub in Southern California.

Hummingbirds adore the nectar from the flowers.  The plant also attracts butterflies, bees, moths, and other pollinators. 

Allen Chickering Sage (Salvia 'Allen Chickering') tolerates almost any soil type and, once established, needs no summer water. It is smaller and more compact than many sages.

A Blossom Hill original.  Salvia Clevelandii x with some Salvia apiana. Nice structure, foliage and extended flowering time.  Very adaptable and drought tolerant. Smaller than Vicki Romo, slightly larger that S. clevelandii.  Product of natural cross pollination in the Nursery.  As with most larger Sages, needs fall pruning.

The 'Aromas' sage hybrid is a fragrant and early blooming bush sage, developing its deep purple flowers from early to late spring. The gray geen leaves are fragrant when crushed or enjoyed with a warm night in the summer. The long stalks produce flowers that attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. it has a an amplified scent for most of the year, compared to other varieties, and is best placed a medium distance from the windows or house air flow. hybrid, random; origin = seedling (19__, Ken Taylor) s. clevelandii x ?; intro saratoga Horticultural Foundation 1981-82 .

Bee's bliss sage (Salvia x 'Bee's Bliss') is a fast-growing low plant which is great for slope coverage or as a beautiful and inexpensive ground cover.  It has a beautiful spreading form to a maximum of 2 feet high and 5 feet wide. The leaves are silvery grey-green, the flowers lavender or pink. They bloom in profusion in the spring on long flower stalks and have a pleasant fragrance.

This plant takes full to part sun, prefers well-draining soil and is drought tolerant after it is established, though it tolerates a wide range of garden conditions.  Occasional deep watering in summer is recommended.

This plant is nearly deer proof. It is a favorite of hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.

Salvia 'Blue and White' is from a cutting by Greg Rubin, most likely of a salvia 'Betsy Clebsch". Unlike the Betsy Clebsch flowers that are variable and can be blue, white or bi-colored on a single plant, the 'Blue and White' have bloomed consistently with bi-colored deep blue and white flowers. It begins flowering in May and continues through the summer and into fall. 'Blue and White' has compact growth to about 3 feet tall and wide. It is a bit more fussy about it's soil then the straight Cleveland sage, as it prefers good drainage and a hot, sunny site. Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Garden hybrid introduced by Bob sussman of Matilija Nursery.

Salvia mellifera 'Calamity Jane' is a cross between our native Black sage and salvia leucophylla. It grows to form a compact, fragrant mound, reaching 3' high and 4' across. The flowers are more deeply colored than the Black sage and are shown off beautifully against vibrant green foliage. This tough drought tolerant plant loves a dry, sunny slope and will not need summer water once it is established. Plant one and you will never be short of hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Distinguished by its large bluish-purple flowers, celestial blue sage (Salvia ‘Celestial Blue’) attracts many native pollinators to the garden. Celestial blue sage is a hybrid created by Bert Wilson, the founder of Las Pilitas Nursery. It is a cross of Salvia clevelandii, Salvia pachyphylla, and Salvia leucophylla (Cleveland, blue, and purple sage).

Hardy and easy to grow, this low-water shrub is tolerant of coarse, sandy soil and summer heat. It grows in large mounds that can reach 5 ft in width and height. Fragrant gray-green leaves accent the richly colored blooms. The flowers attract hummingbirds, moths, and butterflies, including the Swallowtail. The seeds provide food for songbirds. 

Celestial blue sage does well on dry sunny slopes and in other areas where growing conditions may be challenging for other plants. It can be used for erosion control and as a groundcover

Dara's Choice Sage, botanically known as Salvia 'Dara's Choice', is a hybrid of Sonoma Sage (Salvia sonomensis) and Black Sage (Salvia mellifera). This evergreen plant is semi-deciduous in summer, reaching 1 to 2 feet in height and 3 to 6 feet in width. The small leaves are a rich green color and contrast well with the blue to lavender-blue flowers, blooming in the spring through early summer.

Dara's Choice Sage maintains its dense and solid foliage appearance, even after many years, making it useful to gardeners as a compact spreading ground cover or low mounding shrub. It is fast-growing and adaptable to different soils, from sandy, coarse-grained soil to clay. It prefers sun in coastal sites, and part sun or light afternoon shade in inland sites. Once established, it is drought adapted.
The fragrant flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators.
It was selected for the garden by horticulturalist Dara Emery, and in 1979 introduced by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden (Introduced by TpF)

Hybrid of salvia apiana X mellifera.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Hybrid between s. clevelandii, s. dorrii, and s. mohavensis.

Salvia hybrid. This sage is very useful in the garden. It is tolerant of heat and needs very little water, making its creeping and groundcover characteristics a good match for rocky hillsides or barren areas. This a slow-growing spreader tha is often found growing near granite rocks, and tougher conditions where other sage varieties have a harder time. The flowers are blueish-purple and are in bloom from spring to early summer, providing butterflies, hummingbirds, and pollinators with a slow-growing field of flowers to visit. The leaves are a gray-green, and fragrant when crushed. Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Salvia hybrid. We consider the fragrance of Cleveland sage leaves and the fragrance of orange blossoms to be part of the essence of California. The somis hills are home to salvia leucophylla, which has beautiful 8 ft. tall silvery foliage setting off bright pink blooms, but the foliage fragrance is not exciting. Thankfully a bee arranged a tryst between the two sages in our garden. The resulting 'Love Child' is a great garden plant 2-3 ft. tall by 3 ft. wide with the unmistakable fragrance of Cleveland sage and the pink flowers of salvia leucophylla. This plant was introduced by John schoustra of Greenwood Gardens.

Pozo Blue Sage (Salvia clevelandii x leucophylla 'Pozo Blue') is a small shrub in the Mint family. It is a hybrid that was introduced by Bert Wilson of Las Pilitas Nursery. It is prized for its highly fragrant, gray-green foliage and blue-violet flowers. Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees are attracted to the trumpet-shaped flowers and birds eat the seed in late summer through fall. Deer and gophers tend to leave it alone, most likely due to the fragrance.

Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii) and Purple Sage (Salvia leucophylla), the parent sages, grow naturally in Chaparral and Coastal Scrub plant communities. Hot, dry sights with excellent drainage are where Pozo Blue Sage will thrive. And yet, Pozo Blue Sage has proven to be adaptable to different types of soil, making it a good choice for a garden. It is tolerant of heat and low water.

Prune back by third in fall or winter for a fresher appearance and more blooms in spring and to prevent woody, leggy growth. Use the leaves for a delicious tea or to make aromatic and healing body care products.

A very special, little known selection, salvia 'Rubin's Baby', grown exclusively by Moosa Creek Nursery. Salvia hybrid. This salvia is a variant of salvia 'Dara's Choice', which is a hybrid of salvia sonomensis and other undetermined salvia species, possibly salvia mellifera. This plant differs most strongly from salvia Dara's Choice in that it is less woody when mature, is more compact, and is lower growing. It reaches about 1.5 to 2 feet tall, with a spread of about 3 feet. This sage features lavender blue flowers, and medium green leaves with lighter undersides. Salvia 'Rubin's Baby' came from esteemed native plant educator and designer Greg Rubin's own garden, and through years of observation he noticed that it is more tolerant of typical garden conditions. In general, salvia 'Rubin's Baby' can tolerate more water and shade than other salvias, making it an excellent ground cover and for bordering a traditional garden. Water carefully in the summer, this sage can tolerate overhead watering about once a week. Prune back in the fall for new spring growth.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Salvia hybrid. This sage was developed at Rancho santa Ana Botanical Gardens and is most likely a cross between White sage (S. apiana) and Black sage (S. mellifera). Starlight is fast growing shrub to about 4' x 4'. It has silvery green foliage which causes the spring and summer blooming white flowers to stand out and sparkle like stars. It is very attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies and native pollenators. It does best in full sun and only needs occasional to no extra water. Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

White sage hybrid, long narrow light green leaves and pale blue to white flowers. Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden (from the Verdugo Mts). Introduced by TpF.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Native to Southern California's coastal sage scrub region, White Sage (Salvia apiana) is one of the state's most important Salvia species. White Sage is fragrant, with silver-white leaves, and clusters of white flowers with lavender streaks. Young leaves start off green and turn white as they get older.

White Sage is deeply rooted in the cultures and lifeways of Indigenous communities of Southern California and northern Baja, the only region this sage naturally occurs in the world. This plant's limited wild populations are under threat from poaching, climate change, and development.

Nursery-grown White Sage is a valuable pollinator plant in the garden. The small white flowers are a favorite of carpenter bees, bumble bees, and hummingbirds. In Latin, "apiana" means of or belonging to bees. The blooms are accented by silvery-white foliage. White Sage is a drought-adapted low-water shrub that grows best in full sun. Pruning helps keep it neat and compact.

Horticultural selection from salvia apiana.

This sage has light purple flowers and is even more aromatic than White sage or a Cleveland sage. Its leaves are similar to white sage but are slightly smaller and darker. It is a very attractive shrub to place along fences and at the back of a garden bed. Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. It is thought to be a cross between Salvia apiana and Salvia clevelandii, coming from Rancho Santa Ana (now California Botanic Garden).

Compact White Sage (Salvia apiana var. compacta) is a perennial shrub that is native to Southern California. Having all the attributes of White sage (Salvia apiana) but growing about half the size, with silver-gray foliage and tall flower stems of pollinator attracting white blossoms.

It is heat and drought tolerant, with powerfully fragrant foliage that is deer resistant.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Salvia brandegeei is a herbaceous perennial evergreen shrub in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family that grows to 3-4 feet in its native habitat. For many years, it was thought to be native only to Santa Rosa Island, one of the Channel Islands of California. In the 1960s and 1970s six colonies were found in Baja California. It is named after Kate Brandegee, a pioneering field botanist in California and Baja. In cultivation, the plant will reach 4-5 feet tall and up to 7 feet wide. It has dark green scalloped leaves, about 3-4 inches long and 0.5 inch wide. The pale blue or lavender flowers are about 0.5 inch long, in tightly spaced whorls. The violet-gray calyx, combined with the wide open flower lips, make it a very showy flower. It is best used very near the coast (within about 10 miles) in the central or southern part of the state.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden. Introduced by santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

Thistle Sage (Salvia carduacea) is a native annual herb in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family that grows in southern and central California, primarily in hot, dry inland areas. It comes closest to the coast in northern Santa Barbara County. It tends to grow in sandy or gravelly places, at elevations from 0-4500 feet. It has a distinctive thistle appearance but is not related to true thistles. It is more closely related to Chia (S. columbariae). It is almost always grown from seed and is sometimes included in desert seed mixes.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden. Introduced by santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii) is a small, evergreen shrub in the Mint family (Lamiaceae). The small gray-green leaves are very fragrant, as are the whorls of purple flowers. One shrub can perfume the whole garden on a warm, summer afternoon. Hummingbirds adore the nectar from the tubular flowers. It also attracts butterflies, bees, moths, and other pollinators. This is an important food source during the heat of summer.

It is native to chaparral and coastal sage scrub in Southern California, where it survives on annual rainfall alone. Plant Cleveland sage on well-drained flats, bluffs or gentle slopes for best results. Limit summer water to no more than once per month; although, no irrigation in summer after a year or two is best. This sage is arguably one of the most fragrant. Several cultivars and hybrids that are often available in nurseries are 'Winnifred Gilman', 'Allen Chickering', 'Aromas', 'Pozo Blue', and 'Whirly Blue', and 'Celestial Blue'.

Horticultural selection from salvia clevelandii. Powerfully fragrant and incredibly long blooming, Alpine Cleveland sage is also the cold-hardiest variety of its species, tolerating temperatures well below freezing. Due to its long bloom time, the Alpine variety is a particularly good addition to wildlife gardens. Use it as a screen or border shrub. The flower spikes are attractive in cut-flower arrangements. This variety was discovered growing wild on a rocky, south-facing slope of san Diego's Cuyamaca Mountains near the small town of Alpine. Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selection from san Diego County (Alpine).

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Introduced by saratoga Horticultural Foundation.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Originally collected by sean Hogan, parker sanderson, and Bart O'Brien from a coastal terrace south of Erendira in Baja California, Mexico.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden. Introduced by Rancho santa Ana Botanic Garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Whirly Blue sage is a hybrid of salvia clevelandii and s. leucophylla and sports aromatic grey-green foliage and rich violet flowers that appear on 1 to 2 foot blooming stems. It is a dense growing shrub, 4-5 feet tall, with an even greater spread.
The larger flower whorls and the deeper color of the flowers distinguish 'Whirly Blue" from both salvia 'Allen Chickering' and salvia 'Aromas'. Whirly Blue sage is great for dry, sunny spots and appreciates well-draining soil. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies enjoy its flowers and we enjoy its leaves in tea. Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Winnifred Gilman Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman') is a fragrant and vibrant selection of Cleveland Sage, introduced by Strybing Arboretum (now San Francisco Botanic Garden). Native to Southern California's chaparral and coastal sage scrub, it thrives in well-drained soils with minimal water once established.

This small shrub has striking red stems and clusters of blue-purple flowers, blooming in late spring and summer. Its foliage has a sweet, fresh aroma, considered the most fragrant of all California native sages.

Winnifred Gilman Cleveland Sage is a standout choice for drought-tolerant gardens, attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators. Plant in full sun along the coast or with some afternoon shade inland.

Chia (Salvia columbariae) is a small annual sage with vivid blue-purple flowers  that looks great mixed with California poppy.  The leaves form a rosette at the base of the plant and flower stalks rise about one and a half feet. Flowers emerge in spring. 

Plant from seed in fall, on a sunny slope or in well-drained soil. Seedlings emerge early in the rainy season and grow fast.

Desert sage (Salvia dorrii) is a herbaceous perennial or woody subshrub in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Native to mountain areas in the western United States, it thrives in dry, well-draining soils. The narrow, grey-green leaves emit a minty aroma when handled or crushed. Its mauve to purple, spike-like flower clusters remain on the plant in dried form for several weeks or months after blooming.

This heavy-blooming sage is an excellent choice for desert or high-elevation gardens. Also known as tobacco sage, Dorr's sage, mint sage, or purple sage, it attracts insects and provides valuable color and texture to the landscape.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Dorr's Sage (Salvia dorrii var. dorrii) is a native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California.

Hairy Sage (Salvia dorrii var. pilosa) is a common native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in dry rocky places, at elevations from 3300-13100 feet.

Salvia eremostachya, the rose sage, sand sage, or desert sage, is a perennial shrub native to the western edge of the Colorado Desert. It reaches 2 to 3 ft (0. 61 to 0. 91 m) high, with purplish green bracts on . 75 in (1. 9 cm) flowers that range from blue to rose to nearly white. The flowers grow in whorled clusters, blooming from April to November. The specific epithet, "eremostachya" (Greek for "desert stachys"), refers to the plants likeness to those of the genus Stachys.

Salvia funerea (Death Valley sage, woolly sage, funeral sage) is an intricately branched shrub associated with limestone soils in the Mojave Desert. It has an overall white appearance due to wooly hairs that cover the stems and leaves. The plant can be found in dry washes and canyons in Inyo County, California, on the western slopes of the Funeral Mountains, Black Mountains, and Granite Mountains, in Titus Canyon in the Grapevine Mountains, and in the northern Panamint Mountains.

Salvia greatae is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Its common names include Orocopia sage and lavender sage. The plant is endemic to California, where it is found in the mountainous Colorado Desert of southern Riverside and northern Imperial Counties, mainly in the Orocopia and Chocolate Mountains. This plant grows in Sonoran Desert ecoregion habitats, on floodplains and along the edges of washes. It is scattered in distribution but it can be a dominant species in patches of appropriate habitat. Salvia greatae forms a low, rounded [shrub]] under 1 metre (3. 3 ft) tall, its many branches coated in tangled, glandular hairs. The non-deciduous, hairy leaves are up to 2 centimeters long, the edges lined with several long, sharp-pointed teeth tipped with spines. Flowers are borne in interrupted clusters along the stem branches. Each flower has a double-lipped tubular corolla about a centimeter long in a shade of pinkish purple. The corolla is surrounded by spiny sepals. It is aromatic.

Purple sage (Salvia leucophylla) is a fast-growing evergreen shrub that can become a mounding form up to five feet tall, or a spreading form up to 10 feet wide and only 2  feet tall, which makes a great ground cover.  The leaves are gray green and in spring and summer large spikes bear whorls of purple flowers with a strong scent.

Purple sage grows in full sun and is amazingly drought-tolerant but can take light water up to twice per month in the summer, which will keep it looking a little greener.  Though it prefers well-draining soil, it is tough and easy to grow.  

The highly aromatic flowers attract a variety of birds and insects, with several butterflies and moths hosted.

Horticultural selection from salvia leucophylla. This large Purple sage was introduced by Carol Bernstein from a specimen found on the coastal bluffs of Pt. Sal in santa Barbara County. Amethyst Bluff starts out as a low-mounding shrub but eventually grows very large, reaching up to 1 feet in height and spreading up to 15 feet. It is ideally suited for a large scale planting, particularly on a sunny slope or bank where it can sprawl freely. This selection tolerates heavy soils and provides good erosion control. Amethyst Bluff has fragrant silvery foliage and showy lavender flowers on 12 inch long spikes. It is very attractive to butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden. Introduced by C. Bornstein of Rancho santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

Horticultural selection from salvia leucophylla. This is a low growing, evergeen shrub that produces beautiful pinkish-purple flowers in a circular bunch along the stem. The leaves are light green with a bumpy textured surface. The shrubs can grow to 3 or 4 feet tall and span up to six feet wide. They prefer well-drained soils or rocky hillscapes. The flowers are a great attractor of pollinators, including: birds, bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. They do well in full-sun or part-shade, proving to be both cold- and drought-tolerant.

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Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selection for the garden. Introduced by sunset Nurseries.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Horticultural selection from Salvia leucophylla from Pt. Sal, in the southern part of the central coast, just south of san Luis Obispo. One of the best Calfornia native groundcovers. This low-growing groundcover is a perfect selection for full-sun or part-shade areas. The 'Point sal' variety is a grayish-green leaved, multi-blossomed salvia hybrid that exhibits low water needs and has little demand in terms of maintenace. The flowers can be pruned in late fall to produce a good flush in the spring. The lavender flowers are arranged in a circular pattern around the green stems. The flowers attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

A selection from Point Sal in 1987. Plants usually stay under 2-1/2 ft tall with a graceful 8’ ft spread. Rose-pink flowers are produced in spring on an 8” inflorescence. Plants are deciduous in dry situations. Winter or spring leaves open apple green becoming gray, then white as the season progresses. Likes full sun or light shade with well-drained soils. A tough and durable selection well-suited to the dry garden. Great for erosion control on a sunny slope as limbs sometimes root where they touch the ground, producing a thicket. Highly useful as a groundcover for coastal bluffs or hot inland areas.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Black sage is the most common sage in California. Though less showy than other salvia species and cultivars, it is an important food source for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The flowers are small and pale blue-lavender in color. After blooming, black sage seeds provide food for birds, including quail and towhees.

A black sage shrub can grow up to 6 feet tall and 10 feet wide. In the garden, this aromatic plant prefers full sun and well-draining soil. It is a low-moisture plant, requiring no supplemental water once established. It is usual for the small, dark green leaves to curl during summer drought.