One of my favorites was Riders of the Purple Sage. In it, Gray tells of beautiful shrubs that cast a purple haze over the desert landscape for miles. So whenever my family took a trip to some desert area, I expected to see sagebrush with purple leaves. But all I saw was mugwort with blue-green leaves.

Now I know why. Purple Sage is not a sage blush. It is a true salvia of the genus Salvia and the species name is Dorrii. And yes, it grows as a shrub with purple flowers in May or June. It breeds in western mountainous areas, including hot, desert-like places in northern Arizona.

Today I’m writing about True Salvia, a wonderfully multifaceted genus with about 1,000 species growing throughout the United States. Introducing my favorite salvia. Some grow as perennials in Coconino County. There are others that only thrive as annuals here, but I’ll start with those.

I love Salvia greggii for container landscaping. I prefer the ‘Furman’s Red’ cultivar, which has delicate (apparently) red tubular flowers that hummingbirds fight over. In my pot, a variety of medium to low-growing flowers act as a backdrop for the airy red tall. Certain his S. greggii produce pink flowers, which are equally desirable.

If you really want to get someone’s attention, plant a pot of Salvia splendens ‘Vista Red’ against a green background. The dense panicles of ‘Vista Red’ tubular flowers are reminiscent of bright red flames. I cut off the dead flowers to make new blooms and allow the plants to grow until the first frost. Note: S. splendens is toxic to dogs.

Next is the annual blue salvia. There are many varieties, all of which are often labeled as “Blue Salvia”. I will buy whatever is available at that time. They are generally barbed and give another dimension of height to containers and landscapes, acting both as backgrounds and as centerpieces.

Then look at salvia, a perennial plant that grows year-round in highlands like Flagstaff. My experience with perennial salvia is that for the first two years he may need a little protection from very cold temperatures and windy conditions for his third year. I water weekly during the hot, dry summers.

I think it’s worth the trouble, especially with ‘Raspberry Delight’, which is a native hybrid. (I think you can only buy it in High Country) Gardens.com). The first summer I had ‘Raspberry Delight’ I planted it in a pot and let it bloom with another flowering plant. I transplanted it into my backyard that fall. In recent years, it has been growing in a semi-shaded place, and the raspberry pink flowers are very beautiful.

A few years ago, I purchased Salvia sylvestris ‘Blue Hill’ on the recommendation of another coconino master gardener. Choose a warm, sunny location and water several times a week when temperatures spike. Despite the heavy snowfall last winter, the flowers bloomed beautifully. I am now eagerly waiting for my ‘Blue Hill’ to finally reach mature height and 2-3 feet wide.

When I saw Salvia pachyphylla, aka Mojave Sage, or Mountain Desert Sage in a fellow master gardener’s garden, I thought, “This gorgeous plant can’t be native. It almost looks tropical!” But it’s native to Arizona, California, and Nevada, where it grows on high, dry, rocky slopes. The leaves are silver-green with a sweet scent, and the flowers are blue tubular flowers in dark pink bracts. It takes several seasons for plants to reach their true brilliance.

By now, I think it’s clear that I love salvia. Here’s a little information for those of you who want to try planting your own. Most of these sages prefer poor soil, require little water, attract bees and hummingbirds, and grow into small shrubs.

To be honest, I’m still looking for a Salviadrii field. At least now I know where to look. But perhaps the long journey described in Gray’s novel was a myth to begin with.