salvia mexican bush Tag | Reds Landscaping

7 Great Salvia Plants for your Melbourne Garden

The Salvia plant is available in a huge range of colours and sizes for your garden. It is not really that surprising when you consider there are more than 950 species to choose from. The salvia is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), which means it is related to some of the world's favorite culinary herbs rosemary, basil and mint as well as the Mediterranean garden favourite, the lavender. From a distance some varieties of Salvia, resemble their cousins in the lavender world. Whilst they are attractive garden plants, many members of this genus are also important for culinary purposes such as flavouring, teas and food crops.

Many Salvia species are native to tropical America. Wagner’s Salvia also known as Chupamiel (Salvia Wagneri), is probably the most spectacular of these. This shrub is really more like a tree are as it can grow over 4 metres tall in ideal conditions. Not only is this a huge shrub, but the 300mm long flowers appear as scarlet spikes with magenta calyxes.

1. Salvia Farinacea or Blue Salvia

In the hills of southwest of North America Blue Sage (Salvia Farinacea) displays its bright blue flowers after rainfall.

Salvia Farinacea - Reds Landscaping & Design — *Blue Salvia, Blue Sage Flower, Salvia Farinacea, Mealycup Sage, Mealy Sage growing in garden.*

2. Mexican Chia (Salvia Hispanica)

Salvia Hispanica, more commonly known as Mexican Chia, is one of the most important food crops from the mint family. The seeds of this annual herbaceous plant are known for being high in omega 3 fatty acid and fibre. Salvia Hispanica is native to the desert regions of Mexico which makes it a very drought tolerant plant.

Chia Flowers - Reds Landscaping & Design — *Salvia Hispanica flowers, known as Chia, a healthy food plant with purple flowers from the mint family, Lamiaceae growing in garden*

Chia Seed - Reds Landscaping & Design — *Chia seeds are the tiny black seeds of the chia plant (Salvia Hispanica).*

3. Salvia Leucantha or Mexican bush sage.

Salvia Leucantha or Mexican bush sage an Autumn flowering perennial which can add colour to your Melbourne garden in early May. Salvias are generally drought tolerant and can handle subtropical as well as temperate climates. This makes them a good plant for temperate climates like Melbourne with its with warm to hot summers, mild and sometimes balmy springs and autumns. This plant is a favourite amongst Melbourne Gardeners and is also great for dog friendly garden surfaces.

A variegated variety will add depth to your small garden. ‘Tricolor’ is a spreading evergreen sub-shrub with oblong grey-green leaves variegated with cream and flushed with purple on the youngest growth; light blue flowers open in early summer.

Golden Sage - Reds Landscaping & Design — For striking gold variegated leaves, the herb ‘Icterina’ is a evergreen dwarf shrub with aromatic, oblong leaves 3-6cm long, greyish, variegated with gold yellow and pale green. Two-lipped pale purplish-blue flowers 2cm long, in terminal racemes provide great colour contrast.

Purple Sage - Reds Landscaping & Design — *Purple Sage is an aromatic perennial herb with purple grey foliage It grows to a height of 60 cm and will spread to around 45 cm. Plant in well-drained soil in a sunny sheltered location.*

Landscaping Ideas with Salvia

Pet Friendly Gardens

As with most culinary plants, salvia will not generally be a problem with your pets. The good news is that you are unlikely to need any snail pellets to protect your salvias. A good variety for snail resistance is salvia superba.

Garden ideas for Saliva

These versatile plants are great for commercial landscapes, residential landscapes and coastal and beachside gardens. The plant can be used as either garden beds or borders as well as vegetable gardens. Most importantly, the salvia is also a must have for any ornamental garden Australia wide.

Salvia is great for garden borders and garden beds - Reds Landscaping & Design — *Salvia is great for garden borders and garden beds.*

Garden Care for your Salvia

Salvias, like many Australian native plants, have evolved to grow in fairly poor soils. Apart from the alvia Uliginosa or Bog Sage, soil needs to be reasonably well drained. Apply a soil conditioiner like a very dilute solution of Neutrog Seamungus occasionally.

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More information on the sage genus.

Cambridge Blue

Jerusalem Sage

S.Officinalis

Colourful addition to the garden

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Salvia Leucantha or Mexican Bush Sage

Salvia Leucantha - Reds Landscaping & Design — *Salvia Leucantha or Mexican bush sage is an Autumn flowering perennial. This evergreen small shrub which can grow to around 1.3m high.*

Leucantha or Mexican bush sage is an Autumn flowering perennial. This evergreen small shrub which can grow to around 1.3m high. It is suitable for dog friendly gardens in Melbourne.

The Salvia Leucantha Family

Salvia Leucantha belongs to the family Lamiaceae which is part of the sage genus. The significant sage genus, contains more than 920 species of woody and herbaceous plants of the mint family (Lamiaceae). These belong to the order Lamiales. Whilst they are attractive garden plants, many members of this genus are also important for culinary purposes such as flavouring, teas and food crops.

Garden ideas for Saliva Leucantha

Garden Care for your Salvia Leucantha

Salvias, like many Australian native plants, have evolved to grow in fairly poor soils. Apply a soil conditioner like a very dilute solution of Neutrog Seamungus occasionally.