The focus of this fifth article series are deciduous Salvia species including S.
madrensis, S.
mexicana, and S.
nipponica for Hardiness Zones 3 to 8.
For the sake of making sense of the genus, I'll divide the salvias into three groups; those with woody stems, those which are both herbaceous (non-woody stems) and deciduous (die to the ground) in the winter, and finally those which are herbaceous and form basal rosettes.
Check out our other articles in the series where we discuss other Salvia types such as the deciduous rosette Salvia species.
Deciduous salvias are those which die to the ground during the winter.
Some members of this group are extremely sensitive to cold, wet winters at the northern end of their hardiness zone range.
In our experience, not cutting them back until spring greatly helps their winter survival because otherwise the stems fill with water and freeze during the winter and rot the plant from the inside out.
S.
madrensis (Forsythia sage) S.
madrensis is a high elevation Mexican salvia that makes a large clump, whose exaggerated square green stems reach 7' tall by the time it bursts into flower in late September.
We have found some forms to be reliably hardy to 0 degrees F, while others die out at 15 degrees F.
(Hardiness Zone 8-10) S.
madrensis is represented in commerce by the following cultivars.
S.
madrensis 'Dunham' (Dunham Forsythia Sage) S.
madrensis 'Dunham' is a very winter hardy, early flowering form that we obtained and named from Cary, NC gardener, the late Rachel Dunham.
(Hardiness Zone 7b-10) S.
madrensis 'Red Neck Girl' (Red Neck Girl Forsythia Sage) S.
madrensis 'Red Neck Girl', a Plant Delights Nursery introduction, is a very winter hardy selection with bright reddish purple stems, and typically yellow flowers in fall that bloom slightly earlier than other forms we have trialed.
This is a seedling from a seed batch from Southwest Native Seed.
(Hardiness Zone 7b-10) S.
mexicana (Giant Mexican Blue Sage) S.
mexicana is an imposing clump that can easily reach 7' tall.
It flowers from midsummer until frost with tall spikes of blue flowers.
One of our favorites is S.
mexicana 'Limelight' with contrasting green calyces, which accent the cobalt blue flowers.
(Hardiness Zone 8b-10) S.
nipponica (Japanese Woodland Sage) S.
nipponica is very similar to S.
koyamae in the trade may actually be S.
nipponica), producing an 18" tall x 3' wide patch of stems with hastate light green leaves and topped, starting in late summer, with short spikes of light butter yellow flowers.
S.
nipponica is another of the sages which prefers light shade to part sun.
(Hardiness Zone 6-9, at least) Salvia glutinosa is a similar related species.
S.
nipponica is represented in the trade by the following cultivar.
S.
nipponica 'Fuji Snow' (Fuji Snow Japanese Sage) S.
nipponica 'Fuji Snow' is a Barry Yinger introduction from Japan which has leaves surrounded by a white margin that disappears during the summer.
During late summer, the clumps are smothered with 18" stalks of light yellow flowers.
(Hardiness Zone 6-9, at least) We hope that you try out various members of the genus Salvia as they are all garden worthy.