When you hear salvia, what comes to mind? Many of us think of the older salvia plants which are annuals that we buy and plant each spring. These are commonly called bedding sages around the country, but we know them as salvias here in the Mahoning Valley.

If this is all you think of when you hear salvia, please know this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many plants in this family that are annuals or perennials. All of them can brighten up your garden throughout the year.

Salvia (sages) is a family of great variety in every aspect of the plants within the family. The colors alone run from brilliant blues to showy yellows. I can’t think of a flower color that does not exist in this family.

Everyone has their preferences for color, fragrance, bloom and even varying growth habits of these plants. Commonalities within the family are square stems and scented foliage. There are annuals, perennials, uses for mass plantings, borders, containers, cut flowers, pollinator gardens — as many as creative gardeners can imagine.

Salvias grow rapidly to 12 to 14 inches. They love full sun, well-drained soil, require little care.

Plant in spring after frost, in amended soil depending on results of your soil test. Removing spent blooms throughout the summer encourages blooming during the slow August days.

Seeds can be started for spring planting. Do not cover dispersed seeds (too small). They take two weeks to germinate.

There are more than 200 species, the red salvia (Salviasplendens) being most popular. It also comes in salmon, orange, purple, lavender and white. It grows 18 to 30 inches tall. Some other options include:

・ Gentian sage (Salvia patens) is a large intense blue from 12 to 18 inches tall;

・ Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) is edible, blooms red, and is a bushy, 4-foot plant;

・ Mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea) is my favorite. This violet, blue and white plant features 10-inch spikes up to 2 to 3 feet. Try Victoria. It’s deep blue, 12 inches wide and 18 to 20 inches tall;

・ Common sage (Salvia officinalis) is the culinary herb we all know and love, with purple flowers, and thrives in hot dry areas;

・ Rosemary (Salvia rosonarinus) is a culinary herb that grows up to 4 feet with small pale blue blooms.

There are so many others, you can see why everyone loves some plant of this broad family.

To learn more about the vast number of plants in this family, with pictures and descriptions, go to: http://go.osu.edu/salvias.