Salvias, also called sage, are part of the mint (Lamiaceae) plant family.
Salvias are most oftenperennialsbut can be annuals as well.
Salvia plants are easy to grow and propagate.
The Spruce / Krystal Slagle
Keep scrolling for popular types of salvia plants to consider for your garden.
These hard workers bloom from June to frost.
The former has genuinelyblue flowers, which is somewhat unusual and thus highly desirable.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Mealycup sage has an even longer bloom period than red salvia, producing flowers from May until frost.
These vigorous plants bear lance-shaped leaves and many spikes of purplish-blue blooms.
Removing the spent flowers keeps the plant looking tidy.
The Spruce / Marie Iannotti
Popular cultivars include ‘Marcus’, ‘Caradonna’, ‘Sensation’, and ‘Blue Hill’.
In very hot climates, this plant will appreciate a bit of afternoon shade.
Like other salvias, autumn sage will attract bees andbutterfliesto your garden.
Hana Richterova / Getty Images
Another good cultivar is ‘Pink Dawn’, a shorter plant (18 inches) with pink flowers.
The lavender-blue flowers bloom on spikes in June.
Wispy scarlet flowers bloom from late summer to mid-fall.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Some gardeners grow this salvia plant in containers and overwinter them indoors.
It tolerates light shade and prefers very warm climates.
The blossoms are unusually attractive and profuse, making this salvia plant a favorite for late-season container gardens.
By Eve Livesey / Getty Images
Butterflies and hummingbirds are very fond of this species, which has velvety, grayish-green leaves.
The plant has a long history of ceremonial use by the Mazatec tribes of southern Mexico.
Do note that this plant is now illegal in some U.S. states and decriminalized in others.
Gabriele Hanke / Getty Images
Before growing it, always check your state laws.
Blue salvia is a perennial that grows in a clumping pattern.
reaching heights between 2 and 5 feet.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
It is drought-tolerant, making it an easy plant to care for.
It’s deer-resistant and doesn’t have any serious issues with pests or diseases.
Gentian sage is most often treated as an annual in cooler climates but is usually a perennial.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
It attracts birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds and it is easy to care for.
Not only that, black and blue sage is resistant to deer.
Native to China and Japan, Chinese sage is used as a medicinal sage.
David J. Stang/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0
Blooming in spring, Chinese sage is deer-resistant.
Adorned with red two-lipped flowers, golden delicious is adored by hummingbirds and butterflies.
It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.
Pakin Songmor / Getty Images
It has vibrant white flowers.
Not only is Greek sage an excellent pollinator plant, but it also has medicinal and culinary uses.
During its summer bloom time, it grows purple flowers with a strong fragrance.
Chris Hellier / Getty Images
Its beautiful aroma attracts birds, butterflies, and moths.
It’s substantially drought-tolerant and thrives in full sunlight.
It blooms from June to July.
Paul Mabbott / Getty Images
Limelight
Lisa Romerein / Getty Images
Salvia mexicana’Limelight' is also known as Mexican sage.
It thrives in well-drained soil and partial shade.
It blooms from fall until the first frost.
JohnatAPW / Getty Images
Its stunning array of blue flowers attracts birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
It’s a semi-evergreen perennial that reaches up to 3 feet in height.
Native to the California coast, it does amazingly well in dry, shady environments.
The flowers of Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ open from the bottom of the cluster up.Marie Iannotti
It’s low maintenance and drought tolerant.
It grows flower clusters in shades of white, blue, and purple.
It has a strong aroma.
lnzyx / Getty Images
It is toxic to cattle, sheep, and goats.
Baby Sage
magicflute002 / Getty Images
Baby sage (Salvia microphylla) is an evergreen shrub.
It’s a species that hybridizes easily, meaning it has a variety of hybrids and cultivars.
unpict / Getty Images
you could propagate baby sage by division or stem cutting.
see to it to plant in an area with well-draining soil that receives full sun.
This salvia variety blooms all summer long, right until the first frost.
weisschr / Getty Images
Hot Lips is fast-growing and will welcome butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial insects to your garden.
It loves full sun and has stunning coral and white trumpet flowers.
It brings hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies to gardens.
Jared Quentin / Getty Images
It has a long bloom time, showing off its clusters of purple flowers all summer long.
Its evergreen foilage in silvery hues adds a beautiful contrast to your garden.
Plant during the late spring or even early summer to take advantage of its blooms.
AYImages/ Getty Images
It does best in well-drained, acidic soil and full sun.
If you deadhead this variety regularly, you will be rewarded with a second bloom in September.
It only reaches a height of 2 feet, making it low-growing.
Lisa Romerein / Getty Images
However, despite its small size, Yugoslavian cut leaf sage still makes a strong statement in your garden.
Butterflies love this variety, if you want to attract more to your garden.
It’s useful in cooking as a seasoning.
Wirestock / Getty Images
Blooming in early spring, tricolor sage reaches heights of 18 inches and loves full sun.
Most salvias thrive in the full sun but can also handle living in partial shade.
However, expect that your plants living in partial shade may experience a diminished bloom output.
Tony Rodd / flickr / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
All sage plants are considered to be salvias.
They are members of the mint (Lamiaceae) plant family.
magicflute002 / Getty Images
joannatkaczuk / Getty Images
Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images
Y_Hirosan / Getty Images
Jared Quentin / Getty Images
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Olga Ionina / Getty Images
Kristine Radkovska / Getty Images
Mayerberg / Getty Images
ilbusca / Getty Images
