Mealycup Sage
Salvia farinacea
- Native to:
- Mexico, United States
Holger Casselmann
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Lamiaceae
- Genus:
- Salvia
- Species:
- Salvia farinacea
- USDA Symbol:
- SAFA2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 90 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul,aug,sep,oct,nov
- Bloom Colors:
- blue, violet, white
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: American bumble (Bombus pensylvanicus), Anthophora californica, Bombus sonorus, Brown-belted bumble (Bombus griseocollis), Common eastern (Bombus impatiens), Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica), Two-spotted Longhorn (Melissodes bimaculatus), ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera), Xylocopa micans, Xylocopa tabaniformis Moths:Pyrausta inornatalis, Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis), White-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata) Butterflies:American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), Atalopedes Scudder, Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis), Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Julia butterfly (Dione vanillae), Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus), ⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), Queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus), Small White (Pieris rapae), Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from basal crown after fire; native to Texas prairies and savannas with periodic fire regimes.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- well-drained, sandy or loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- native to prairies and meadows with open, sunny conditions
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 10–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination; surface sow and do not cover. Germinates best at 70-75°F.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI