Salvia Species, Autumn Sage, Gregg's Sage
Salvia greggii
Family: | Lamiaceae (lay-mee-AY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Salvia (SAL-vee-uh) (Info) |
Species: | greggii (GREG-ee-eye) (Info) |

Category:
Annuals
Tropicals and Tender Perennials
Height:
12-18 in. (30-45 cm)
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)
Spacing:
15-18 in. (38-45 cm)
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Danger:
N/A
Bloom Color:
Pink
Rose/Mauve
Red
White/Near White
Bloom Time:
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall
Mid Fall
Foliage:
Evergreen
Other details:
Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
By dividing the rootball
From softwood cuttings
From seed; sow indoors before last frost
From seed; direct sow after last frost
Seed Collecting:
Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds
Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored
Foliage Color:
Bloom Characteristics:
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Water Requirements:
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Where to Grow:
Regional
This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:
,
Auburn, Alabama
Chandler, Arizona
Green Valley, Arizona
Hereford, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Sahuarita, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona (2 reports)
Yuma, Arizona
Alamo, California
Canoga Park, California
Castro Valley, California
Glen Avon, California
Los Angeles, California
Palm Springs, California
Redding, California
Reedley, California
Ridgecrest, California
Rohnert Park, California
Roseville, California
Sacramento, California
San Anselmo, California
Santa Ana, California
Wilmington, Delaware
Hollywood, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Largo, Florida
Lutz, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Quincy, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Trenton, Florida
Augusta, Georgia
Douglas, Georgia
Hinesville, Georgia
Lawrenceville, Georgia
Suwanee, Georgia
Derby, Kansas
Independence, Kansas
Ewing, Kentucky
Hebron, Kentucky
Coushatta, Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana
Monroe, Louisiana
Scott, Louisiana
Zachary, Louisiana
Baltimore, Maryland
Ellicott City, Maryland
Southfield, Michigan
Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Henderson, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada (2 reports)
Albuquerque, New Mexico (2 reports)
Farmington, New Mexico
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico
Durham, North Carolina
Holly Springs, North Carolina
Oak Island, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Enid, Oklahoma
Harrah, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Grants Pass, Oregon
Ladys Island, South Carolina
Rockwood, Tennessee
Abilene, Texas (2 reports)
Alice, Texas (2 reports)
Arlington, Texas
Austin, Texas (7 reports)
Belton, Texas
Brady, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Bulverde, Texas
Camp Wood, Texas
Carrollton, Texas
Conroe, Texas
Copperas Cove, Texas
Crawford, Texas
Dallas, Texas (3 reports)
Dripping Springs, Texas
Edinburg, Texas
El Paso, Texas (2 reports)
Elgin, Texas
Fate, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas (3 reports)
Georgetown, Texas
Haltom City, Texas
Helotes, Texas
Houston, Texas
Irving, Texas
Kyle, Texas
Leander, Texas
Lewisville, Texas
Lincoln, Texas
Mc Kinney, Texas
Odessa, Texas
Plano, Texas
Red Oak, Texas
Rowlett, Texas
San Antonio, Texas (2 reports)
Southlake, Texas
Sugar Land, Texas
Temple, Texas
Von Ormy, Texas
Weatherford, Texas
Ogden, Utah
Arlington, Virginia
Kalama, Washington
Seattle, Washington
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
---|---|
Positive | On Nov 29, 2013, MurrayTX from El Paso, TX (Zone 8a) wrote: I have recently planted three of these in my bee garden, but can attest (by observing the neighbor's) that they do very well in alkaline sandy soil if they are given some protection from the intense late afternoon desert sun of El Paso (altitude 3.7k ft). |
Positive | On Jul 17, 2013, NJReed from Southfield, MI wrote: I bought this plant from Romence in Grand Rapids (when it had been zoned to 5). It came through its first Michigan winter and is just wonderful this summer. Blooms are a bright, hot pick & hummers love it! I did not cut back until the spring, it was surrounded by a bed of chopped leaves, and new growth came from the old wood. |
Positive | On May 24, 2013, Dean48089 from Warren, MI (Zone 6b) wrote: I used to have three or four different cultivars of Salvia greggii growing in my Zone 6B garden (all purchased from High Country Gardens). They were in two different raised beds: one on the east side of the house were it hardly ever got any rain, and the other on the west side of the house made up of mostly chicken grit and pea gravel. The plants survived the winters of 98/99 through 2001/2002, which were very mild winters in my area, without any sort of protection. Had I gone out and put rose cones on them the following winters they would probably still be alive today. |
Positive | On Oct 23, 2012, tomaras3 from Harrah, OK wrote: Magnets for butterflies and hummingbirds! |
Positive | On Sep 9, 2012, mlsmls from Belleville, IL wrote: I live in the St. Louis, MO region (6a) and have owned this plant for many years. When I moved 6 years ago I moved a plant that had already lived in my former back yard for at least 3 years. I have a newer plant in an area which gets all day sun but is not protected from northern winds in the winter. It has come back 2 years now. Never watered during our 12 days of over 100 degree temps and no rain; it still lives. Very long blooming. Attracts hummingbirds (red variety that is) and butterflies. Doesn't seem to be fussy about soil quality. |
Positive | On Apr 1, 2012, Sandwichkatexan from Copperas Cove, TX wrote: Self sows freely here . Hummingbirds love them . I have about every color out there and a few that I have pollinated myself to create new color variations . a fun plant that deer avoid . and always has a hummingbird or butterfly visiting . |
Positive | On Nov 10, 2011, mcvirginia from Arlington, VA wrote: Salvia greggii looks like it dies back to "sticks" in the Arlington, VA winter, but it really acts like a deciduous perennial. It has come back strongly for three years. Requires some cutting back before it leafs out. |
Positive | On Mar 21, 2011, astilbe2 from Monroe, LA wrote: I planted a small autumn sage last spring, and it has performed beautifully . It bloomed throughout the summer of 2010, even surviving our week long heat wave of 103degree days scorching everything else. I love this plant. Now to my surprise, it has already started another beautiful bloom surge, even in early March! |
Positive | On Feb 20, 2011, annlof from Camarillo, CA wrote: Salvia greggii is pretty foolproof in Southern California. I cut my plants back by about 30 percent in December (our rainy season) to keep them compact. Nevertheless, they tend to get woody and unproductive after a few years and are best replaced. Cuttings root easily and plants grow quickly. |
Positive | On Sep 22, 2010, xeriman from Farmington, NM wrote: Cherry sage has been surviving pretty well under xeric conditions (about 3 to 5 gallons of water per week) here in northwestern New Mexico (USDA zone 6B; Sunset zone 3A) at an elevation above 5000' but it dies back to ground in most winters. Consequently, I've not seen plants reach the 3 to 4 feet height reported from more southern climes. It is used extensively in local urban landscapes here. |
Positive | On May 9, 2010, jazzy1okc from Oklahoma City, OK wrote: Here in OKC this plant seems to be doing extremely well in my garden and in the gardens of others. I have three, two in full sun on the south side of my house and one on the north side in afternoon only sun. The one on the north side suffered damage from our unusually harsh winter and an enthusiastic large dog, but it is coming back slowly. All have excellent drainage. |
Positive | On Feb 21, 2010, tulpen from Los Angeles, CA wrote: A favorite for all the reasons already stated. Question: should I fertile/ add some cow manure to soil to enhance more flowers??? Usually when plants flower a lot they also require "food." Thanks! Susan |
Positive | On May 20, 2009, mcrousse from Holly Springs, NC (Zone 7b) wrote: I LOVE this plant! So do the hummers! One of the specimens is growing on an exposed slope on the northwest side of my house in somewhat amended clay. It grows in well-drained clay! It has become a shrub, probably around 4 ft square. It starts flowering in early April and doesn't quit till frost. Doesn't blink at our heat and humidity and gets full sun all day. |
Positive | On Jul 18, 2008, slrob from Fort Worth, TX wrote: 'Flame' cultivar performed so well in my western garden that I purchased the 'rose pink' cultivar for my eastern garden to replace a nuisance 'black-and-blue sage'. 'flame' has handled a late frost, a severe hail storm and the Texas heat amazingly. 'flame' is more like a hot-pink (purplish base tint) color while the 'rose pink' appears to have more of a salmon pink color to me. Both are beautiful with many flowers on the 2-3' stalks. 'flame' lost a few leaves during winter but bushed out quickly in spring heat. Both are used as short hedges against the house in my gardens. Hummingbirds like these too! |
Positive | On Mar 13, 2007, bluespiral from (Zone 7a) wrote: This was one of the loveliest sages in our garden last summer, and it never noticed it was flowering in awful heat & humidity - just bloomed and bloomed in partial shade for the amusement of hummingbirds till frost. |
Positive | On Nov 17, 2006, Marilynbeth from Hebron, KY wrote: I love Salvia greggii's! They bloom early and long in the season. They are different varieties and colors to pick from the list of greggii's. |
Positive | On May 22, 2006, whiskgar from Baltimore, MD wrote: I found "Hot Lips" and "Maraschino" autumn sage last year at our local arboretum's plant sale. It does NOT need full sun in this hot, very humid climate. I planted them under a dogwood so that they got afternoon filtered sunlight and they went to town & bloomed vigorously all summer on 36-inch gracefully arching stems. Unfortunately, the nurseries around here don't know this plant. I'm trying to spread the word. |
Positive | On Jun 28, 2005, Rocco from Tulsa, OK (Zone 7a) wrote: I have a salvia greggii that is about three years old growing in Tulsa,OK. It has been blooming since earlier this year and will bloom until fall. I took cuttings this past spring. I placed them in styrofoam cups with potting soil. They are now about twelve inches tall and ready to be transplanted. The plant is easily propagated from cuttings. |
Positive | On Jun 28, 2005, Kelli from L.A. (Canoga Park), CA (Zone 10a) wrote: Blooms year-round. Produces seed but I have never had it self-sow. A friend of mine in Tucson says his self-sow all of the time. I think the difference is in our watering practices. He waters briefly every day and I water for a long time once a week or every other week. |
Positive | On Mar 14, 2005, hanna1 from Castro Valley, CA (Zone 9a) wrote: Mine is named 'Red', I albsolutely love the color, it is intense! |
Positive | On May 28, 2004, cghoover8 from Albuquerque, NM wrote: Evergreen at 5500' in New Mexico - very popular here in Albuquerque. |
Positive | On May 27, 2004, angelap from Weatherford, TX (Zone 7b) wrote: Here in the harsh west Texas environment, Salvia greggi is a garden blessing! I have red, white and pink in the garden, and they bloom all summer, even in the excruciating heat. Mine reseed freely. |
Neutral | On May 12, 2004, kns1313 from Tijeras, NM wrote: Tough to grow at 7000' in New Mexico (10" average annual rainfall). Dies back to the ground every winter, 50% of new plantings die every year. Beautiful plant, hummingbirds love it, but the mountains are tough on it. Mine have never set seed, I readily propagate via softwood cuttings. Still looking for altitude-adapted cultivar. |
Positive | On May 4, 2004, frostweed from Josephine, Arlington, TX (Zone 8a) wrote: I totally agree with all the good reports on this plant and I find it extremely easy to propagate. The hummingbirds and butterflies are crazy about the flowers and bring us a lot of joy. |
Positive | On May 3, 2004, AngelinaB from Voca, TX wrote: If you love to watch hummingbirds and butterflies, this is an excellent plant. And this Salvia propogates quite easily. I've given 'babies' to family members and friends. |
Positive | On Oct 9, 2003, jnurlv1 from Jacksonville, FL wrote: I had no knowledge of the plant name or habitat when I obtained it. Therefore, I planted it in a half sun location since Florida sun is more excruciating to plants than other areas. It proved successful, and has gone from a small 6 inch twig to just shy of 5ft tall by 3 1/2 ft wide beauty. I have it in rich black soil that's heavily mulched. I have easily propagated it by snapping branches and replanting them in like soil and keeping them in shady areas for a couple of weeks. I found the name from a neighborhood nursery that had some in the red (mine is pink) and from there have added the reds to my garden. I love it and nicknamed it my fairy bush. |
Positive | On Aug 15, 2003, sailinshoes from Independence, KS wrote: Plant is also perennial in zone 5. |
Positive | On Aug 14, 2003, htop from San Antonio, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: San Antonio, TX |
Positive | On May 26, 2003, Lavanda from Mcallen, TX (Zone 8a) wrote: In February when I had cabin fever, I saw a beautiful specimen in full bloom at a garden center. To the side were some non-blooming identical plants, so I bought two non-blooming ones instead of one blooming plant..I set them out immediately and within one week both were blooming. They are very happily blooming away and have only been watered by occasional rain showers. The hummingbirds love this plant, the redder the flowers, the better. It is very enjoyable to walk by and see the cheerful tubular blooms. |