The characteristics of the family Laminaceae make it one of the most easily recognized group of plants. Opposite, aromatic foliage and square stems are almost a guarantee that the observed plant is a member of the mint family. Familiar genera include Mentha (Mint), Solenostemon (Coleus), Lamium (Deadnettle) and Salvia amongst over 200 others.

The largest genus within Laminaceae is Salvia with between 700 and 900 species — depending upon which taxonomist one is listening to. The name Salvia comes from the Latin word salvere which means “to save”, in deference to the many herbal and medicinal uses of these plants throughout history. Current research is looking at the efficacy of Salvia in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Consisting of shrubs, herbaceous perennials and annuals the majority of Salvia hale from Mexico and South and Central America with South Western Asia coming a close second. With this many species it would be reasonable to expect a plethora of common names but Sage seems to be ubiquitous, with various descriptives used for clarification. Common Sage (Salvia officinalis) is the familiar culinary herb often referred to simply as “sage”, while Silver Sage (S. argentea), Autumn Sage (S. greggii) and Scarlet Sage (S. splendens) are but three of the more commonly available species.

Another species growing in notoriety is Salvia divinorum (Diviner’s Sage, or Sage of the Seers) due to the psychoactive, albeit short-lived, effects obtained from ingestion, traditionally by native shaman. Many jurisdictions are considering legislation to restrict its availability, but care must be taken to ensure that the entire genus doesn’t come under suspicion because of one minor, and unattractive member. Educate at any opportunity, only S. divinorum possibly needs attention, not all Salvia.

Once again the use of common names can lead to confusion as there are several other genera that use the term sage.Perovskia (Russian Sage) and Phlomis (Jerusalem Sage) being the most familiar. Fortunately, the species grown as ornamentals are usually referred to by the name of Salvia, although the herbaceous perennials are sometimes called Meadow Sage.

Remarkably easy to grow, preferring full sun and well-drained soils, Salvia are excellent candidates for perennial borders and also make great container plants. Generally staking is unnecessary unless the plants are grown in too much shade or in too rich a soil — tough love provides the best results. Avoid sites that retain moisture for any length of time, but plants will bloom for extended periods if they receive regular moisture. Salvia are quite drought tolerant, especially once they are established.

Flowers are borne in spikes or racemes and are usually blue, purple or red, with white and yellow being occasionally available. Most of the fragrance associated with these plants tends to originate from the foliage especially if it is brushed against or otherwise crushed. This makes Salvia a good addition to any garden planted for the visually impaired, although some people are not fond of the scent. Neither, apparently, are deer and rabbits, as they are not known to particularly like Salvia snacks. Butterflies and hummingbirds on the other hand are definitely attracted to the showy flowers. Deadheading will usually encourage extensive re-blooming, which is great as Salvia are excellent as cut flowers.