Sages and Salvias for Your Houston, Texas Garden

All sages are actually salvias, but many folks think of them as two separate plants, and that's understandable. Flowers are what come to mind when you think of salvias, whereas sage tends to bring thoughts of herbs and cooking. However, whether you think salvia or sage (and whatever they bring to mind), there are many beautiful species of both that will thrive in the Houston, Texas climate. Most are disease resistant, drought tolerant, and able to withstand even the coldest Houston, Texas winter. For a few ideas of some salvias and sages to plant in your own garden, as well as planting tips for each, see below.

Belize Sage. The gorgeous tubular red flowers of this sage will bring hummingbirds to your Houston, Texas garden. They also have very pretty, glossy green leaves. Plant this salvia in partial sun to full shade and it will bloom from the spring through the fall. They are a great choice for groundcover, as well as for your Houston, Texas shade garden. Belize Sage are disease resistant, and can take cold temperatures down to 35 degrees. These salvias can grow as tall as four feet high, and will reseed in your garden.

Cedar Sage. This beautiful sage is another flower with tubular red blooms that hummingbirds love. This Texas native is drought tolerant and disease resistant, and can take temperatures down to ten degrees (unlikely in Houston, Texas.) Plant it in partial sun to full shade and expect blooms in the spring and summer. These salvias require good drainage. They are a great choice for your rock garden, shade garden and mixed borders. Expect heights of up to two feet in your garden.

Red Devil Sage. These pretty salvias will bring both hummingbirds and butterflies to your Houston, Texas garden. Plant them in full to partial sun (the more sun they get the more flowers you'll get) and enjoy their blooms from late spring through the fall. Red Devil Sage is also disease resistant, deer resistant, and can take the cold down to fifteen degrees (again, unlikely in Houston, Texas.) These salvias don't mind the heat and humidity but be sure to keep them well watered during dry periods.

Mexican Sage. Another red flower that will bring hummingbirds to your Houston, Texas garden in droves. Plant these salvias in full sun and expect heights of up to four feet! (This makes them a great choice for the back of your mixed borders.) These salvias also do very well in containers, and are disease resistant and drought tolerant. Mexican Sage will brighten your Houston, Texas garden with red flowers from spring through fall.

Royal Sage. These salvias have reddish orange flowers that, surprise-surprise, attract hummingbirds to your Houston, Texas garden. They will only tolerate morning sun or filtered shade - do not plant them in full sun. This Texas native is drought tolerant, disease resistant, and can stand the cold down to ten degrees (not likely to happen in Houston, Texas.) They can grow as high as six feet tall, and are a great choice for shade gardens and mixed borders.

Autumn Sage. The orange, red and white flowers of these salvias are sure to brighten your Houston, Texas garden. Plant them in full sun in the fall, and enjoy their blooms from April through October. These Texas natives are a great choice for your mixed borders. They do best in soil with good drainage, and can reach heights of up to three feet.

Source list:

Personal experience

http://www.chron.com/apps/chron_data/plants.mpl