Salvia azurea

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Salvia azurea
Salvia azurea1.jpg
Status TNC G4.svg
Apparently Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Salvia
Species:
S. azurea
Binomial name
Salvia azurea
Synonyms [2]
List
    • Salvia acuminataVent.
    • Salvia acuminatissima Steud.
    • Salvia angustifolia Michx.
    • Salvia azurea f. albiflora McGregor
    • Salvia azurea devilleana Jacob-Makoy
    • Salvia azurea var. elata (Poir.) Pursh
    • Salvia azurea var. grandiflora Benth.
    • Salvia azurea var. longifolia Trel.
    • Salvia azurea subsp. media Epling
    • Salvia azurea subsp. pitcheri(Torr. ex Benth.) Epling
    • Salvia azurea var. pitcheri (Torr. ex Benth.) E.Sheld.
    • Salvia azurea subsp. typica Epling
    • Salvia coriifolia Scheele
    • Salvia elata Poir.
    • Salvia elongata Torr.
    • Salvia mexicana Walter
    • Salvia pitcheri Torr. ex Benth.

Salvia azurea, the azure blue sage, [3] azure sage, blue sage or prairie sage, is a herbaceous perennial in the genus Salvia that is native to Central and Eastern North America. [4] [5]

Contents

Description

Seeds SeedsSalviaazurea.jpg
Seeds

Its thin, upright stems can grow to 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, with narrow, pointed, smooth-edged to serrated, furry to smooth green leaves, connected to their stems by petioles to 0.4 inches (1.0 cm) long. There are no basal leaves. [6]

The blue flowers (rarely white), nearly 14 to 12 inch (6.4 to 12.7 mm) long, appear summer to autumn near the ends of their branched or unbranched spikes; their calyxes are tubular or bell-shaped and furry. Two varieties are known, Salvia azurea var. azurea (azure sage) and Salvia azurea var. grandiflora (Pitcher sage). [4] [5]

The stems of wild S. azurea tend to be long and unbranched, causing them to flop under the weight of their flowers. [7] [8] [9] When grown in cultivation, the stems of S. azurea are sometimes cut back early in the growing season to encourage branching and slow the vertical growth of the plant to prevent lodging. [7] [8]

Distribution and habitat

S. azurea is found from Utah east to Connecticut and from Minnesota south to Florida. [3] [7] S. azurea var. azurea tends to be found in the eastern and southeastern portion of this range, while S. azurea var. grandiflora is found in the west and northwest. [8] In some states within its native range, it has become especially rare, such as in Illinois, where it is listed as a threatened species. [9]

Throughout its range, it is found growing wild on roadsides, glades, prairies, savannas, fields and pastures. [6] [7] S. azurea prefers dry, sunny conditions in a variety of soils, including clay, gravel, and loam. [9] [8] In wetter conditions, the plant will still grow and bloom, but tends to lodge. [9] [8]

Varieties

Related Research Articles

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<i>Salvia spathacea</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Salvia splendens</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Salvia columbariae</i> Species of flowering plant

Salvia columbariae is an annual plant that is commonly called chia, chia sage, golden chia, or desert chia, because its seeds are used in the same way as those of Salvia hispanica (chia). It grows in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora, and Baja California, and was an important food for Native Americans. Some native names include pashiiy from Tongva and it'epeš from Ventureño.

<i>Salvia lyrata</i> Perennial herb in the family Lamiaceae

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<i>Salvia pratensis</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Salvia dorrii</i> Species of shrub

Salvia dorrii, the purple sage, Dorr's sage, fleshy sage, mint sage, or tobacco sage, is a perennial spreading shrub in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to mountain areas in the western United States and northwestern Arizona, found mainly in the Great Basin and southward to the Mojave Desert, growing in dry, well draining soils.

<i>Salvia clevelandii</i> Species of flowering plant

Salvia clevelandii, the fragrant sage, blue sage, Jim sage, Cleveland sage, and Cleveland's blue sage is a perennial plant of family Lamiaceae native to Southern California and northern Baja California, growing below 900 m (3,000 ft) elevation in California coastal sage and chaparral habitat. The plant was named in 1874 by Asa Gray, honoring plant collector Daniel Cleveland.

<i>Salvia reflexa</i> Species of shrub

Salvia reflexa, the lanceleaf sage, Rocky Mountain sage, blue sage, lambsleaf sage, sage mint or mintweed, is an annual subshrub native to the United States and Mexico and introduced to Argentina, Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand.

<i>Salvia microphylla</i> Species of shrub

Salvia microphylla, synonyms including Salvia grahamii, Salvia lemmonii and Salvia neurepia, the baby sage, Graham's sage, or blackcurrant sage, is an evergreen shrub found in the wild in southeastern Arizona and the mountains of eastern, western, and southern Mexico. It is a very complex species which easily hybridizes, resulting in numerous hybrids and cultivars brought into horticulture since the 1990s. The specific epithet microphylla, from the Greek, means "small leaved". In Mexico it is called mirto de montes, or "myrtle of the mountains".

<i>Salvia</i> Largest genus of plants in the mint family

Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the sage family Lamiaceae, with nearly 1,000 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. Within the Lamiaceae, Salvia is part of the tribe Mentheae within the subfamily Nepetoideae. One of several genera, commonly referred to as sage, it includes two widely used herbs, Salvia officinalis and Salvia rosmarinus.

<i>Salvia nemorosa</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Salvia reptans</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Salvia uliginosa</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Salvia munzii</i> Species of flowering plant

Salvia munzii is a semi-evergreen perennial species of sage known by the common name Munz's sage or San Miguel Mountain sage. It is native to northern Baja California, Mexico, and it can be found in a few locations just north of the border in San Diego County, California, where it is particularly rare. It is characterized by small leaves and clear blue flowers. It is a member of the coastal sage scrub and chaparral plant communities.

<i>Ceanothus americanus</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Zinnia grandiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Zinnia grandiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names Rocky Mountain zinnia and plains zinnia. It is native to the southwestern and south-central United States and northern Mexico. Zinnia grandiflora is used by many Native American tribes for its medicinal properties as well as for its vibrant yellow color for paint and dyes. There have also been experiments done using Zinnia grandiflora to understand the extent of its healing abilities.

<i>Lespedeza capitata</i> Species of legume

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References

  1. NatureServe (6 December 2024). "Salvia azurea". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  2. "Salvia azurea Michx. ex Vahl". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  3. 1 2 NRCS. "Salvia azurea". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  4. 1 2 Kathleen N. Brenzel, Editor, Sunset Western Garden Book (Menlo Park, CA: Sunset Publishing Corporation, 2001; ISBN   0-376-03875-6)
  5. 1 2 Mark Griffiths, Index of Garden Plants, 2nd American Edition. (Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1995; ISBN   0-88192-246-3)
  6. 1 2 Carl G. Hunter, Wild Flowers of Arkansas. 6th edition, p. 192. (Little Rock, Arkansas: The Ozark Society Foundation, 2001; ISBN   0-912456-16-7)
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Salvia azurea (Pitcher sage)". Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Salvia azurea - Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Wild Blue Sage (Salvia azurea grandiflora)". www.illinoiswildflowers.info. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
  10. Wynia, Richard. "Pitcher Sage Plant Fact Sheet" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services.