The first time I saw Salvia argentea (Silver Sage) was at a nursery in Asheville, North Carolina.  I wasn't particularly interested in having it at the time, but the owner of the nursery told me I had to have one and put one in my hands.   I could tell there was no use arguing with her, so I took one home.  I'm glad I did, too, because I've enjoyed its large, showy silver foliage, and that's what has sold me on it.  It does have flowers - spikes of cream/white ones - that pale in comparison to the bold foliage, but they are flowers, nevertheless.  A short-lived perennial or biennial, this Salvia will continue sometimes if you deadhead, and sometimes there will be plants growing off of the base of the main plant that may continue.  One piece of advice:  Since the flowers are fairly insignificant, enjoy them for a day or so and remove them.  This way, this short-lived perennial will not set seed and will live a little longer.  Salvia argentea resists deer and rabbits and grows from 12 to 18 inches in full sun in Zones 6 to 8.  (Illustration by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin, 1797, Wiki Commons)  SOLD OUT

Salvia azurea, a  beautiful azure blue native of the United States, begins blooming in early summer and continues until fall.  The blue, two-lipped flowers are arranged in whorls around the square stems (Salvia is a member of the mint family) that grow to about three feet.    Salvia azurea likes sun but will tolerate partial shade in Zones 4-8. Sold Out.

Salvia barrelieri, a short-lived perennial sage, is native to northern Africa and Spain.  The clumps of bluish-green leaves stay somewhat compact, but then send up tall, stiff stalks, up to six feet high, with lavender blue flowers.  Salvia barrelieri can grow to six feet tall and two feet wide, so be sure to cut it back after blooming to maintain a more compact plant.  This Salvia likes sun/partial shade and well-draining soil.  Zones 7 (some sources say), or 8-11.  Be sure to collect seeds since this is a short-lived perennial.  Photo courtesy of Robin Middleton in England.  If you have an interest in Salvias,  you will want to visit Robin's Salvias.

I fell in love with this beautiful garden sage the first time I saw it.  Considered a cross between Salvia darcyi and Salvia microphylla and discovered by Art Petty of Austin, Texas, " Silke's Dream"  couldn't be prettier or easier to grow.  This beautiful garden sage grows to about two feet tall and three feet wide in full sun to partial shade and is drought tolerant, once established, and smothered in two-lipped, red/orange blooms from summer through fall.   It is deer resistant, but the hummingbirds, and bees will thank you for it.  Zones 7-10.

Salvia desoleana, a native of the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, is a low-growing, highly aromatic perennial shrub.  Its large, pale green hairy leaves form clumps, from which tall spikes emerge, blooming in late spring.  The two-lipped flowers of white and pale lavender/blue are quite beautiful; deadheading will encourage more flowers later on.  Salvia desoleana grows to a rather large-sized clump, to four feet tall and four feet wide, and prefers well-drained soil and a sunny spot.  Quarts.  Zones 7-11.

Salvia elegans is beautiful when in bloom, and it doesn't have that "interesting" scent that many Salvias have; this one smells like pineapple, and I don't know a soul who finds that offensive. This Salvia is quite showy with its scarlet blooms lasting all summer and well into fall.  It is perennial in Zones 7-9, so those of you who are in colder zones might want to plant yours in a pot and bring it inside, although I had one Salvia elegans reappear in spring after a mild winter in Zone 6.  If you don't want to bring it inside, take a few cuttings, instead; Salvia is most agreeable when it comes to rooting.  Sun, moist, well-drained soil, and watch out for white flies because they seem to have an affinity for Salvia.

Salvia elegans "Golden Delicious" has the same red blooms as the Pineapple Sage pictured above, but the foliage is, well, delicously golden.  What an eye catcher.  Sun, Zones 7-9.

This wildly popular hybrid is a cross of Salvia farinaceae (Mealy Cup Sage) and Salvia longispicata, discovered as a seedling in the 1970's.  There are good reasons for its popularity:  it blooms nonstop until frost; it's ever so showy, with dark violet flowers on twisted spikes;  it's a fast grower; hummingbirds and butterflies totally approve; and if given enough sun (at least five hours a day) and well-drained soil, it will be the showpiece of your garden for a long time.  Clump-growing Salvia "Indigo Spires" grows from three to six feet tall, with a spread of one to three feet.  Most sources say this Salvia is hardy in Zones 7-10, but some suggest winter protection in Zone 7.  If you're on the cusp, I recommend taking cuttings (Salvias are a breeze to propagate from cuttings) or planting it in a large container and moving it inside for the winter.  (Photo from Wiki Commons and in the public domain.)

I think of all the Salvias I have ever grown, Salvia forsskaolii is one of the showiest, most reliable, longest lived, and the one that gets the most attention from garden visitors.  The leaves are thick and large, making a wide blanket that covers the ground.  The two-foot stalks are covered from top to bottom in violet/blue and white, claw-shaped blooms that hold their color and vigor for weeks.  Salvia forsskaolii is as happy in sun as it is in partial shade, and it's a reliable self-seeder, too, so new plants are bound to pop up somewhere, and I like that.  Sun/partial shade, Zones (5?) 6-10.

I just love this Salvia with its shiny, petite leaves and soft, pale yellow blooms.  This Salvia grows in full sun to partial shade.  Quarts.  Zones 7-9.

There seems to be no stopping this beautiful rose pink Autumn Sage:  it blooms non-stop without even so much as a lull.  Like other Salvia greggii, it prefers full sun/partial shade.  Quarts.  Zones 7-9.

This brilliantly colored, true blue Salvia guaranitica, with anise-scented leaves (when crushed), grows to at least five feet and, although some sources say it is not for any zone below Zone 7, it has been in my Zone 6 garden for many years.  Salvia guaranitica is a little slow to pop up in spring, but once it does, you're all set for color until frost because it is an unrelenting rebloomer.   Salvia guaranitica makes its presence known not just in constant color and height, but it spreads to make a large patch, easily divided.  Salvia guaranitica makes lovely, long-lasting cut flowers if the stems are cut first under water.  Sun/part shade, moist, well-drained soil in Zones 6-9.  Quarts.

I discovered this lavender/pale blue Salvia guaranitica a few years ago growing out of a rock wall in my garden, and probably a sport of the blue Salvia guaranitica in the bed behind it.   It was just like the true blue Salvia guaranitica (above), except that the blooms were pale lavender/blue.   Could it be "Argentine Skies"? I asked myself.  Perhaps, except that I have never grown "Argentine Skies" in my garden because it was supposed to be for Zones 7 and above.   It is like Salvia guaranitica in every way except it grows a tad shorter (mine is 3 to 4 feet) and doesn't spread as much as the blue variety (yet), but that may only be because it has those rocks to contend with.  All plants offered are from cuttings.  Quarts.  Zones 6-9.

Salvia hians, native to the Himalayas, is a mound-forming perennial ornamental sage.  Growing from two to three feet high and about two feet wide, Salvia hians  has rather large, sea-green, slightly hairy leaves.  Its stems, which stand well above the foliage, have lovely dusky violet blooms with contrasting reddish brown calyces.  Each flower has a gap between the two lips, and that's where the "hians" comes in:  it means "gaping."  Salvia hians grows in sun in Zones 5-10.  (Photo courtesy of Scott Zona, Wiki Commons)

Beautiful Salvia indica, a native of Western Asia, is a short-lived perennial for warmer zones 9-11 or a greenhouse, which is where I have mine in the winter.  Salvia indica, a must for Salvia lovers and collectors, grows to about 12 inches high in full sun and delights with its large green, hairy foliage and mesmerizing lavender blooms spotted with deeper purple.  Bees, butterflies, and birds love Salvia indica, and so will you.  Zones 9-11.

Salvia involucrata is a deciduous native Salvia of Mexico, and this one, named "El Cielo," refers to the location in Mexico where it was collected.  Growing from four to six feet high, the reddish pink blooms resemble rose buds before opening.  This long bloomer, with its fuzzy blooms, delights bees, butterflies and, particularly, hummingbirds.  Salvia involucrata "El Cielo" prefers full sun,  with a splash of shade thrown in during the day, good drainage, and humus-enriched soil.  In spring, be sure to prune "El Cielo" back to active nodes a few inches from the crown.  This showy Salvia is for Zones 8-11, so for those in cooler zones, be sure to take cuttings, collect seeds, or bring it inside in fall.  Quarts.

Salvia iodantha, Mexican Fuchsia Sage,  is native to central Mexico and, as such, is suited to the warmer climates of Zones 8b-11.  Given the right climate however, Salvia iodantha grows from four to six feet (up to 10 feet!) tall and six feet across in sun to partial shade and in rich soil, and it will bloom its head off from mid to late fall until spring, attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and Salvia lovers everywhere. The magenta, or fuchsia, blooms of Salvia iodantha  aren't the only attraction of this Mexican Sage: the bronzed, veined foliage is attractive in its own right.   Be sure to cut Salvia iodantha back severely after blooming if you want a more compact plant.  Quarts.  Zones 8b-11. (Photo by Scott Zona, Wiki Commons.)

Riverside Sage is a tender perennial, but it is worth growing and taking inside in the winter if you live below Zone 8.  Riverside Sage blooms non-stop until frost with whorls of pink/red blooms, pretty green foliage, and a very attractive form.  Unlike most of us, it thrives in heat and humidity in Zones 8 (7?) and above.  Cut back close to the ground in the fall.  Sun, part shade.  Quarts.

Salvia koyamae is a beautiful pale yellow Japanese sage that grows in partial shade and adds a splash of color to your late summer/fall garden.  Salvia koyamae's yellow flowers grow in whorls around stems that rise from one to two feet above large, hairy green foliage.  This perennial Salvia will make a bold effect if grown in mass, and with a spread of up to three feet, it also makes a highly desirable ground cover.   Zones 5-10.  (Photo courtesy of Robin Middleton, Robin's Salvias.  If you are a Salvia lover, be sure to take a gander at all the Salvias in Robin's Gallery.  You will be amazed.)

This two-toned, violet/white Salvia is amazing.  The spires of velvety blooms seem to stay intact for weeks - even months - on end without fading.  Even the foliage is lovely:  soft, velvety, and silver-gray.  My own Mexican Bush Age bloomed outside in a pot from late summer until sometime in October when I took it into the greenhouse.  Even then, the  blooms resisted fading for months longer.  It's hard to believe it's real, but it is.  Salvia leucantha, or Mexican Bush Sage, grows from three to four feet high, with a spread of up to three feet, in full sun/partial shade.  It is a tender perennial for zones outside below 7B, so either grow it as an annual in colder climates or grow it in a pot, like I do.  I'm not going to let a little thing like the weather keep me from growing something so spectacular.  Zones 7B-10.  And one more thing:  it's deer resistant and a bee magnet.  Quarts.

Salvia microphylla is very similar to Salvia greggii, and the two are often confused.  The blooms are alike, but the foliage is quite different: Salvia microphylla has scented, round leaves that are soft and textured instead of smooth and oblong like those of Salvia greggii.  The plants offered here are from cuttings from the one growing in my garden.  A word about zones:  This plant is usually recommended for Zones 7 and above, but I have had the same plant growing here in Zone 6 for at least five years, and it has pulled through every winter without protection.  Salvia microphylla is a woody plant, growing to two feet, and it blooms all summer and well into fall.  In fact, the photo above was taken in my garden on November 13, 2011,  The flowers are a bright, pleasing red - the kind of red that really stands out in the border, but in a good way.  Sun,  Zones 6 or 7-10.

This lovely hardy perennial Salvia is native to the Himalayan Mountains from Pakistan to Western Nepal.  Similar to Salvia sclarea, or Clary Sage, Salvia moorcroftiana grows from two and a half to three feet with one-inch pale lilac flowers that appear in summer and last for several weeks.  Its large, wooly gray leaves are evergreen and attractive on their own.  This robust perennial Salvia is not fussy and only requires removal of spent blooms and foliage.  The large leaves can often be a haven for snails and slugs, so occasional inspection may be necessary.  Salvia moorcroftiana prefers full sun, loose and well-drained soil, and regular watering.  I am not  positive about zones, but this Salvia is said to be hardy to 0 degrees F.  Photo courtesy of Robin Middleton of Robin's Salvias.

This beautiful Salvia from Bolivia grows to about two feet tall, with a spread of two feet, and is  ideal for a container in Zones below 8.  It will bloom its head off from mid-summer until fall with fuzzy red blooms atop broad, deep green foliage.  This Salvia is a thirsty one, so keep that in mind when days are dry; it likes sun (a little shade thrown in if you live in the Southern states); and well-drained, humus-enriched soil.  Zones 8 (with protection) and up.  Quarts.

Salvia patens, or Gentian Sage, is a tender, tuberous perennial Salvia from Mexico.  Although it is frost sensitive and suitable for the warmer climates of Zones 8 and above, don't let stop you from enjoying this beautiful Salvia.  In his 1933 edition of The English Flower Garden, William Robinson called it "one of the best plants in cultivation," and I couldn't agree more.  Salvia patens "Lavender Lady"  grows from two to three feet tall and blooms almost constantly from mid-summer through fall with its many branches covered in soft lavender, claw-shaped  blooms.  In cooler climates, Salvia patens can be grown as an annual, but it can easily be dug up for storing inside during winter months.  It is also a reliable seed producer, so seeds can be collected and sown before spring.  Remember:  Salvia seeds need light to germinate (not direct sun, though), so just press them into a moistened seed starting mixture.  Quarts.

This is the pristine white Salvia patens.  The information is the same as for "Lavender Ice" above.

I have yet to meet a Salvia I didn't like, although I admit that some are better than others.  Salvia pratensis, a European native, belongs in that "better" category.  Its broad, gray-green, wrinkled leaves and stalks that are from two to three feet tall are covered in deep violet, and occasionally pink or white, blooms almost all summer long if deadheaded regularly.  Salvia pratensis likes full sun/partial shade in Zones 3-9.  I don't know a living soul who doesn't like it.  Quarts.

Salvia przewalskii,  native to China and noted for its medicinal properties, grows to about three feet tall with whorls of two-lipped, marroon/purple flowers that are especially fine for cutting.  Full sun/part shade, but full sun ensures more blooms.  Moist, well-drained soil.  Established plants are hardy to 10 degrees F.  Quarts.
(Photo courtesy of Robin Middleton, Robin's Salvias.)

Don't let the name fool you:  there is nothing scrappy about this South African native sage.   Salvia radula grows to about two and a half feet, has fuzzy, fragrant leaves and showy white flowers.  It is a rapid grower in a sunny spot with average, well-drained soil.  Salvia radula is for Zones 8-10, but don't let that stop you from growing this highly desirable perennial Salvia.  Just be sure to take cuttings and/or seeds before a hard frost.  Full sun in Zones 8-10.

I was almost startled the first time I saw this cross between Salvia microphylla and Salvia greggii in bloom the first time.  I don't think I have ever seen anything so intensely scarlet as this Salvia.  It is for the warmer Zones 8-11, but that won't stop me from enjoying it in a container.  It likes full sun to partial shade and grows from 18 to 24 inches tall.  The leaves have the typical Salvia microphylla look, but with a slight sheen.  Quarts.

Salvia sclarea, also known as Clary Sage, is a biennial or short-lived Mediterranean native that has more going for it than its looks: large, wooly foliage and four-foot stems laden with soft white and pink or lavender flowers.  When in full bloom, this hardy sage steals the show from just about everything else in the garden.  Salvia sclarea has other attributes, as well:  it has been used medicinally for centuries; it's oil is used in perfumes; its leaves flavor vermouth, wine, and liquors; and it can be used for cooking - just chop the leaves and add them to an omelet or whatever your heart desires.  Salvia sclarea is short-lived, but it does reseed; even so, it might be wise to collect a few seeds as added insurance.  (Be sure to sow seeds on top of the soil - they need light to germinate.)  Full sun in Zones 4-10.  (Illustration by Jacob Sturm, 1796, Wiki Commons).

Native to California, Salvia spathacea, also known as Pitcher Sage and Hummingbird Sage, is a low-growing, mounding woody perennial.  When not blooming, Salvia spathacea grows from six to 12 inches tall with puckered, hairy, gray-green leaves that are highly aromatic when crushed.  Its spikes, covered in magenta blooms, add about two feet more to the plant, a blooming period that will be prolonged by additional watering.  Salvia spathacea spreads by rhizomes and forms colonies, making it a useful ground cover, and even better, it is deer and gopher resistant. Full sun/partial shade in Zones 7-11.  Some sources say that Hummingbird sage will re-emerge if knocked back by temperatures as low as 0 degrees, but I cannot vouch for this.  (Photo by Curtis Clark, Wiki Commons.

Salvia tingitana has a long and enigmatic history.  Botantists have never been sure where it originated - Tangiers was thought to have been its birthplace because the name, "tingitana," refers to Tingi, now called Tangiers, but in 1989, a wild population was discovered in Saudi Arabia.  It has been grown since at least the mid-17th century.  This profuse bloomer grows to about two feet tall, with large, textured lime green leaves (somewhat pungent if brushed) and two-lipped, lavender and pale yellow blooms.  Salvia tingitana requires at least five hours of sun each day, well-drained, average soil, moderate watering, maybe a little pruning; other than that, it's good to go.  This summer bloomer is said to withstand temperatures as low as 20 degrees F. for short periods of time, but if I were you, I would collect seeds and/or cuttings before winter sets in.  This Salvia blooms the second year.   Sun, Zones 7 (with winter protection) -10. (Photo courtesy of Robin Middleton of Robin's Salvias.)

I fell in love with this Mexican Creeping Sage long before it bloomed because it has a lovely shape, and its small, almost round, soft and textured leaves make a plant worthy of any garden or container.  When I saw it blooming for the first time, I knew I was smitten.  The  long, slender red blooms seem to appear out of nowhere, and they continue to appear off and on all summer.  This Salvia likes semi-shade and well-drained soil in Zones 7-11.  Quarts.

Salvia transylvanica "Blue Cloud" boasts beautiful large blue/gray leaves that are ovate, flat, and textured.  Its stems rise high above the foliage and are dotted with large claw-shaped, sky blue/violet (a very clear day kind of blue, too) blooms that make this plant striking in the garden border.  Salvia transylvanica "Blue Cloud" grows to about two feet (maybe higher in some soils) in full sun, and it's just about one of the nicest hardy Salvias I have ever grown.   Zones 4-9.

Salvia uliginosa, also known as Bog Sage, was originally found growing in the bogs and wet places of Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.  In fact, "uliginosa" means "of swamps and marshes."  Bog Sage grows from three to six feet in height in a season and is a fast spreader, as it spreads by underground runners.  With infrequent watering, however, it will spread less rapidly and maintain a spread of about four feet; it isn't fussy about growing conditions.  The azure blue flowers appear in whorls, each with a white marking at the throat.  Bog Sage begins flowering in summer and continues until the days shorten.  Full sun (although reputed to be prettiest with some shade) in Zones 6-10.  Quarts.  (Photo courtesty of Robin Middleton, Robin's Salvias. Sold Out!