Known also as the blue sage, the mealycup sage is botanically called Salvia farinacea. It is from the mint family of plants and is an easy to grow perennial that is grown as an annual. It is good for container gardening.
Mealycup Sage Description
Salvia farinacea grows from one to four feet tall with blue flowers on many spikes. A perennial, it usually is grown as an annual. Leaves are light green with silvery undersides. Sepals have a mealy white or purple look to them and they are covered with a felt-like hair. Flowers are two lipped and five lobed with a nice sage aroma. Leaves are in clusters and narrow. Bloom season is between April and October.
Growing Guide
This plant prefers to grow in afternoon shade conditions but can stand full sun if planted early in the season. Soil should be lean to average, well drained, with watering during the dry patches of the season. Propagate by seed or by division. Seed will need light to germinate and may require a period of cold-moist stratification prior to sowing. It is hardy in USDA hardiness zones of 8 through 10.
Distribution
It is found throughout the states of Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas. It is typically found in prairies, meadows, pastures, and woodland edges.
Cultivars
‘Strata’ has a taller growth pattern and two-tone flowers in white and blue. ‘Blue Bedder’ is a shorter version of the flower. ‘Victoria’ grows very well in a bushy form, gets two-and-a-half feet tall, and has intense blue-violet flowers.
Uses
This flower makes for a nice border in the back of flowerbeds where a taller flower is needed. It makes a nice accompaniment to the cottage garden flowerbeds. Shorter variations of the flower do nicely in containers. Mealycup sage is also a great choice for those planting a hummingbird or butterfly garden.
Source: NPIN and Floridata