Salvia azurea, the azure blue sage,[1]azure sage, blue sage or prairie sage, is a herbaceous perennial in the genus Salvia that is native to Central and Eastern North America.[2][3]
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.[4]
The blue flowers (rarely white), nearly 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 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).[2][3]
The stems of wild S. azurea tend to be long and unbranched, causing them to flop under the weight of their flowers.[5][6][7] 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.[5][6]
Distribution and habitatedit
S. azurea is found from Utah east to Connecticut and from Minnesota south to Florida.[1][5]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.[6] In some states within its native range, it has become especially rare, such as in Illinois, where it is listed as a threatened species.[7]
Throughout its range, it is found growing wild on roadsides, glades, prairies, savannas, fields and pastures.[4][5] S. azurea prefers dry, sunny conditions in a variety of soils, including clay, gravel, and loam.[7][6] In wetter conditions, the plant will still grow and bloom, but tends to lodge.[7][6]
Varietiesedit
Salvia azurea var. azurea - azure sage
Salvia azurea var. grandiflora - Pitcher sage
Salvia azurea var. grandiflora 'Nekan' - seed selection released in 1977 by Manhattan Plant Materials Center of Manhattan, Kansas, and Nebraska Agriculture Experiment Station in Lincoln, Nebraska. Selected for better performance and more uniform plant growth.[8]
Referencesedit
^ abUSDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Salvia azurea". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
^ abKathleen N. Brenzel, Editor, Sunset Western Garden Book (Menlo Park, CA: Sunset Publishing Corporation, 2001; ISBN0-376-03875-6)
^ abMark Griffiths, Index of Garden Plants, 2nd American Edition. (Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1995; ISBN0-88192-246-3)
^ abCarl G. Hunter, Wild Flowers of Arkansas. 6th edition, p. 192. (Little Rock, Arkansas: The Ozark Society Foundation, 2001; ISBN0-912456-16-7)
^ abcd"Salvia azurea (Pitcher sage)". Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
salvia, azurea, azure, blue, sage, azure, sage, blue, sage, prairie, sage, herbaceous, perennial, genus, salvia, that, native, central, eastern, north, america, scientific, classificationkingdom, plantaeclade, tracheophytesclade, angiospermsclade, eudicotsclad. Salvia azurea the azure blue sage 1 azure sage blue sage or prairie sage is a herbaceous perennial in the genus Salvia that is native to Central and Eastern North America 2 3 Salvia azureaScientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade AsteridsOrder LamialesFamily LamiaceaeGenus SalviaSpecies S azureaBinomial nameSalvia azureaMichx ex Lam Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution and habitat 3 Varieties 4 ReferencesDescription edit nbsp SeedsIts 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 4 The blue flowers rarely white nearly 1 4 to 1 2 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 2 3 The stems of wild S azurea tend to be long and unbranched causing them to flop under the weight of their flowers 5 6 7 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 5 6 Distribution and habitat editS azurea is found from Utah east to Connecticut and from Minnesota south to Florida 1 5 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 6 In some states within its native range it has become especially rare such as in Illinois where it is listed as a threatened species 7 Throughout its range it is found growing wild on roadsides glades prairies savannas fields and pastures 4 5 S azurea prefers dry sunny conditions in a variety of soils including clay gravel and loam 7 6 In wetter conditions the plant will still grow and bloom but tends to lodge 7 6 Varieties editSalvia azurea var azurea azure sage Salvia azurea var grandiflora Pitcher sage Salvia azurea var grandiflora Nekan seed selection released in 1977 by Manhattan Plant Materials Center of Manhattan Kansas and Nebraska Agriculture Experiment Station in Lincoln Nebraska Selected for better performance and more uniform plant growth 8 References edit a b USDA NRCS n d Salvia azurea The PLANTS Database plants usda gov Greensboro North Carolina National Plant Data Team Retrieved 28 October 2015 a b Kathleen N Brenzel Editor Sunset Western Garden Book Menlo Park CA Sunset Publishing Corporation 2001 ISBN 0 376 03875 6 a b Mark Griffiths Index of Garden Plants 2nd American Edition Portland Oregon Timber Press 1995 ISBN 0 88192 246 3 a b Carl G Hunter Wild Flowers of Arkansas 6th edition p 192 Little Rock Arkansas The Ozark Society Foundation 2001 ISBN 0 912456 16 7 a b c d Salvia azurea Pitcher sage Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center The University of Texas at Austin Retrieved 2018 10 15 a b c d e Salvia azurea Plant Finder www missouribotanicalgarden org Retrieved 2018 10 15 a b c d Wild Blue Sage Salvia azurea grandiflora www illinoiswildflowers info Retrieved 2018 10 15 Wynia Richard Pitcher Sage Plant Fact Sheet PDF United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services This Salvia article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Salvia azurea amp oldid 1188946333, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
