Great Design Plant: Butterflies and Autumn Sage Brings Color

Many fans of fall blossom (Salvia greggii)will rave about its beautiful flowers. Others are going to praise the fact that deer and rabbits leave it alone. Desert gardeners love it is going to thrive underneath their preferred tree, while Southern gardeners like to plant it in full sun. And folks aren’t the only ones who find the flowers irresistible — thus do butterflies and hummingbirds.

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Botanical name: Salvia greggii
Common title: Autumn sage
Resource: Native to Texas, New Mexico and Mexico
Where it can grow: Hardy to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zone 7; find your zone)
Water requirement: Low to moderate
Light requirement: Filtered color in the low desert; total sun in other climates
Mature size: 2 feet tall and broad
Benefits and tolerances: Drought tolerant once established, but looks best with deep watering per week; attracts butterflies and hummingbirds
Seasonal interest: Flowers in autumn and spring at the low desert; blooms in summer in warmer climates
When to plant: Fall or spring

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Distinguishing traits. Autumn blossom is a little- to medium-size shrub that thrives in lightly shaded regions. Tubular flowers appear in autumn and last until spring in low-desert gardens. In cooler climates the flowering begins in spring and continues into summer.

The bright green foliage is attractive and resistant to both deer and rabbits.

Shown: Vibrant pink fall sage implanted around a Foothills Palo Verde tree, which creates protection from the hot Arizona desert sun.

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The colorful, bright blossoms are irresistible to hummingbirds in addition to butterflies, which is why this plant is a must-have for any butterfly or hummingbird garden.

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Autumn sage (Salvia greggii)often hybridizes using Salvia microphylla. The hybrids are sometimes referred to as Salvia x jamensis,with flower color variants including peach, light pink, purple, white and bicolor. The hybrids have the exact same growth habits and prerequisites as fall sage.

Shown: ‘Playa Rosa’

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The best way to utilize it. This tiny perennial shrub looks great paired with yellow-flowering perennials such as angelita daisy, coreopsis, damianita and rudbeckia.

Use fall sage as an understory plant by incorporating it about a tree which produces light shade. It can grow in full color, but flowering will be reduced. Avoid placing it in regions that get full day sunlight — northern or eastern exposures are greatest.

Shown: Autumn sage implanted with yellow pansies at the University of South Carolina

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Autumn sage may be used to line a pathway as a gorgeous backdrop to a perennial bed.

Shown: Autumn sage implanted alongside a pathway at The Living Desert in Palm Desert, California.

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Planting notes. Plant it in well-drained soil. Prune it back to 1 foot after the last freeze date and apply a slow-release mulch. The compost will assist the autumn sage manage the warm temperatures of summer more easily.

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