Salvia mellifera 1g

Black Sage is a woody shrub that grows 3 to 5 feet wide and tall in most settings. Its leaves are highly fragrant, textured, dark green, and smooth on top with small white hairs on the bottom. In late spring, it blooms with whorled clusters of flowers ranging in color from white to sky blue to light lavender. Common along the California coast in coastal sage scrub communities, it is a keystone species that is an important source of food and habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, and small mammals. Will go dormant in summer during times of drought. Fast growing and grows in a wide variety of soil types as long as they are well-draining including loam, sand, and gravel. Can be planted in full sun to part shade and needs infrequent to no supplemental water once established. Salvia mellifera is typically used in restoration and revegetation projects and small scale landscapes. It is typically not suitable for large scale commercial settings. Best planted in the cooler months of the year. As with Mimulus and some other native species, it is best to let this Salvia follow the cycle it would naturally exhibit in the wild during the summer. Gardeners and landscapers often misinterpret the seasonal change of the plant going into summer as a need for additional water rather than a preparation for drought. Giving the plant excessive water during the summer months will usually result in sporadic mortality. In the garden setting, cut back annually to maintain a nicer form and bloom. There are many forms of Salvia mellifera that have been selected for use in landscape settings including Salvia m. ‘Terra Seca’, a dense groundcover form.