Salvia mellifera (Black Sage)

Photographs

My photos:

This photo was taken at Caspers in January. The photo below shows a stand of Salvia mellifera at Caspers.

More photos:

Las Pilitas has a nice photo of flowering stalks.

click photo to enlarge

Plant Information

Lamiaceae

In the garden:

Salvia mellifera is a 4 to 5 feet tall evergreen, with herbaceous twigs and an openly branched appearance. Leaves are green and crinkled. It flowers in late spring or early summer with blue (occasionally white) flowers. It should be cut back periodically to keep it thick. A good shrub for slopes and once established, it requires no summer water, and is salt tolerant.

In the wild:

Black sage typically occurs at low elevations (below 2000 ft) on the coastal and inland sides of the California Coast Range. It is common on coarse-textured soils including those derived from unconsolidated sand, limestone, sandstone, and serpentine. Although black sage may occur as scattered individuals or intermixed with other Salvia species, it often forms pure, monospecific stands that extend over large areas.

Ethnobotany:

I was not able to find any information on the uses of this plant, although I'm sure it was used in the same manner as other pleasantly-scented Salvias.

Field Trips
Anza Borrego Caspers Holy Jim Canyon Idyllwild
Joshua Tree Mt Palomar Rancho Santa Ana Torrey Pines

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