Salvia azurea Lam. ex Vahl

Azure Blue Sage

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Azure Blue Sage is a native perennial herbaceous member of the Mint family (Lamiaceae). It is found throughout Alabama. Azure Blue Sage grows in dry pine woods, mixed pine and hardwood forests, on cedar glades, and in prairies. It is a perennial from a crown. Like most members of the mint family it has opposite leaves and a square stem. The stem grows to a height of three to five feet and are branched above the middle. Each root crown produced 1-5 stems. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, glabrous or slightly pubescent, and toothed above the middle with rounded teeth. The leaves vary from linear to obovate and have a “sage” smell when crushed. The flowers occur in whorled clusters on spikes at the apex of the stems. The flowers are sky blue and white or rarely solid white in color. The fruit is a nutlet. Azure Blue Sage is sometimes available from native plant nurseries or it can be grown from seed. Plants grown from seed will usually flower in the first year if they are started indoors before the last frost. It is tolerant of poor, dry soils, and requires full sunlight for best growth. Plants can be cut back to half their height in late spring to reduce the height of the plant, increase branching, and promote more flowers. In addition to its hardiness and ease of cultivation, Azure Blue Sage is also rarely browsed by deer.--A. Diamond

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Native

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