FNPS Plant Database

Salvia misella

southern river sage, creeping sage
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

southern river sage, creeping sage

Synonym(s):

Salvia riparia

Genus species:

Salvia misella

Family:

Lamiaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Flower

Size:

0.5–0.8 ft tall by 3–5 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

blue

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Winter dormant

Noted For:

Aroma/Showy Fruitsagrance, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Used as a ground cover, one of the relatively few Florida plants that both forms a low dense cover and survives shade.

Considerations:

Depending on site, this plant may spread more than preferred, but easy to pull up if it is not wanted.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Friends

Propagation:

Easily propagated by dividing the root ball, but will also grow from seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Somewhat long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Slightly acidic to slightly calcareous

Suitable to Grow In:

9A,9B,10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars

Larval host for Fulvous Hairstreak. Attracts pollinators.

Native Habitats:

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Depending on cold, this may keep its leaves all year or die back during the winter. In colder areas, consider growing it as an annual. It adapts well to semi-shady to shady well-drained conditions. Herbarium specimens from Marion and Alachua counties were in disturbed "garden" localities - not mapped here. Not planted, but highly unlikely to have appeared other than through human disturbance.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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