| Salvia azurea | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Salvia |
| Species: | S. azurea |
| Binomial name | |
| Salvia azurea Michx. ex Lam. |
|
Salvia azurea (Prairie sage or Blue sage) is a herbaceous perennial in the genus Salvia that is native to Central and Eastern North America.[1][2]
Its thin, upright stems can grow to 6 feet (1.5m) tall, with narrow, pointed, smooth-edged to serrated, furry to smooth green leaves, connected to their stems by petioles to .4 inches long (1 cm).
The blue or white flowers, nearly 1/4 to 1/2 inch (7-12mm) long, appear summer to autumn near the ends of their branched or unbranched spikes; their calyxes are tubular or bell-shaped and furry. There are two varieties: Salvia azurea var. azurea (azure sage) and Salvia azurea var. grandiflora (pitcher sage).[1][2]