| Common Name |
Baby Sage, Cherry Sage, Wild Watermelon Sage,
Blackcurrant Sage, Delta Sage |
| Latin Name |
Salvia microphylla |
| Family |
Lamiaceae |
| Sunset zones / USDA zones |
8-9, 14-24, 27-30 / 9-11 |
| Type / Form |
Shrub / Medium |
| Native Habitat |
Chihuahua Desert, Mexico |
| Soil |
Dry, decomposed granite, sand, clay loam low in organic
content, well drained |
| Exposure |
Full sun |
| Water |
Once or twice per month |
| Height X Width |
Maximum 4 feet X 4 feet, usually 3 feet X 3 feet |
| Protective Mechanism |
Aromatic oils discourage browsers |
| Leaves |
Evergreen, small green |
| Flowers |
Pink to red flowers, mid-summer to mid-fall |
| Bark / Roots |
|
| Maintenance |
None |
| Propagation |
Seed - sow March/April in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place
within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they
are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer. In areas
where the plant is towards the limits of its hardiness, it is best to
grow the plants on in a greenhouse for their first winter and plant them
out in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood
succeed at almost any time in the growing season. |
| Pests and diseases |
None |
| Landscape uses |
Erosion control, container, rock garden, borders, low
maintenance, foliage accent, parkways |
| Garden Suitability |
Thornless, Songbird, Butterfly |
| Nature Value |
Butterflies and bees, use flowers, attracts songbirds |
| Native American Uses |
Entire plant used for saging |
| Links |
|
| Images and data |
http://www.californiagardens.com/Plant_Pages/Salvia/salvia_microphylla.htm |
| Images and data |
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=8621 |
| Images and
data |
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Lamiaceae/Salvia_microphylla.html |
| Images and
data |
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57961/ |
| Images and
data |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_microphylla |
| Images and
data |
http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/plant_display.asp?prodid=1553 |
| Data |
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Salvia+microphylla |
| Images,
data, and nursery |
http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=2455 |
| Images,
data, and nursery |
http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/salmicrophyllawatermelon.htm |
| Distribution |
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SAMI20 |
