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Garden salvia
Habit (mature) · Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Limited coverage
Garden salvia
Salvia nemorosa
A clump-forming herbaceous perennial in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to Europe and west-central Asia. NC State Extension describes an erect, multi-stemmed plant about 1.5-3 feet tall and up to 2 feet wide, with wrinkled, toothed, gray-green aromatic leaves and dense spike-like clusters of lavender to violet-blue flowers (some cultivars pink) from June to September. It blooms in flushes — cutting spent stems back to the basal leaves brings a fresh round of flowers — and is drought tolerant, deer- and rabbit-resistant, and a magnet for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. A reliable, low-maintenance workhorse for sunny borders and pollinator plantings.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: moderate (45/100)
Border
Pollinator
Filler
Light
Full sun / Part shade
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
18-36" tall · 18" apart
Hardy in zones
4a-8b
very cold to frosty winters
Summer heat range
Cool-Warm
cool to warm summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
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It is drought tolerant once established and seldom damaged by deer or rabbit browsing (NC State Extension), and prefers sandy or gravelly soil but tolerates most well-drained sites including dry soils — so it suits lean, sunny, sharply drained spots.
Climate notes
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Garden salvia (Salvia nemorosa). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/garden-salvia
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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