S. Gregii

By Ms Sherry

Published: September 9, 2007

Walking through my garden this week I noticed that, while many trees and shrubs were suffering mightily in the summer heat, many were thriving. Future Inquisitive Gardener offerings will feature some of those “survivors”; perhaps you may want to try some of them in your own garden. The first of these tough guys is S. Greggii, or Autumn or Cherry Sage. Although the name implies that this perennial is a fall bloomer, in my garden it begins to bloom in middle/late spring and blooms until frost. It does not die back to the ground during the winter but remains evergreen, although the leaves are tiny. In some areas this sage may lose its leaves. Autumn Sage is native to southwestern Texas and north-central Mexico but does nicely in my zone 7B garden. It may not perform well north of here. It gets about 1 to 4 feet high and grows in full to part sun; this sage is grateful for shade in the hottest climates. The flowers are one fourth to an inch long and grow on 3 to 6 inch stems. The flowers in my garden are cherry red but I have had white and coral colored ones; I have seen dark purplish red and pink ones in the nurseries. Deadhead the stems to keep the plant neat. Before the plants get their big spring growth, prune out any dead wood and shape if needed. I have read in my “Southern Living Garden Book” that this plant should be replaced every 4 to 5 years if it gets too woody. If you brush against the plant while gardening your clothes and body will pick up a very strong sage smell. Some may find it a bit unpleasant but I enjoy it. Although this plant is drought tolerant it does best if it gets some water. S. Greggi is probably an underused plant in area gardens. However, I see it very frequently in nurseries. It deserves a place in all of our gardens.
“The Southern Living Garden Book” was used as a reference in writing this blog.