Salvia Salvia

Salvia: A Field Guide

Ornamental sage, better known as Salvia, comes in more than 900 varieties of size and shape, either as tender annuals or hardy, herbaceous perennials. What they have in common is jewel-like color.

With their intense coloring, salvias can lift a garden into something special. They are also good mixers, providing long-flowering verticals that flatter complementary shades of purple, blue, and red, while shimmering against textural green. (Culinary or medicinal Salvia officinalis can become large and unwieldy in an herb garden and can be better placed among flowers, with its wonderfully textured foliage.)