Salvia Greggii – The Workhorse of the Native Plant Garden

Salvia greggii | A. Gray Autumn sage | Cherry sage | Greggi salvia

Scarlett Salvia Gregii in Texas. Why do people love it? Its long blooming time from spring until frost.

Scarlett Salvia Gregii in Texas

While Salvia greggii itself has not received national awards like AARS, several cultivars are frequently recognized by the Texas nursery industry and featured in Texas Superstar® trial gardens.
‘Furman’s Red’ is a standout and has been endorsed by Texas A&M AgriLife as one of the best salvias for Texas climate and soils.
The ‘Mirage’ series (from Europe) has received Fleuroselect awards for garden performance, especially in hot, dry climates.

Top Salvia greggii Varieties for Texas:

‘Furman’s Red’
A Texas classic with deep red blooms and excellent cold hardiness.
Recognized by Texas A&M for its reliability and often considered the benchmark cultivar for Texas gardens.
‘Lipstick’
Features bright rose-red blooms with a tidy growth habit. Known for long bloom season and heat tolerance. Frequently recommended by extension services.
‘Big Pink’
Produces larger-than-average flowers in vibrant pink. Does especially well in Central Texas gardens.
‘Cherry Chief’
Offers rich cherry-red flowers on upright stems. Drought-tolerant and dependable in dry, rocky soil.
‘Radio Red’
A newer cultivar with intensely vibrant scarlet blooms and compact growth. Selected for landscape use in urban settings.

Salvia Greggii Purple Texas Perennial for Heat Hearty Landscape Design

Salvia Greggii with Purple Texas Perennial for Heat Hearty Landscape Design

Salvia Greggii is also known as Autumn Sage. But it blooms all summer season! So, that’s a little misleading.

Salvia Greggii with Rosemary and pink Pentstemon.

Pink Penstemon, commonly referring to Penstemon tenuis, Penstemon cobaea, or select pink cultivars of Penstemon x mexicali, is a native or regionally adapted perennial that performs beautifully in Texas gardens—especially in Central and North Texas.

Salvia Greggii with Rosemary.

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, formerly Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody evergreen shrub that performs exceptionally well as a landscape plant in Texas, especially in Central, West, and North Texas. Known for its needle-like aromatic foliage, blue to violet flowers, and natural resistance to heat and drought, rosemary is both ornamental and edible. It makes an excellent foundation shrub, informal hedge, or accent plant in herb gardens, rock gardens, and xeriscapes.

Thrift or Phlox with Japanese Maple in background and Salvia Greggii behind the Thrift.

Salvia Greggii in front of Purple Barberry

Salvia Greggii in the Native Texas Garden Landscaped Design

Autumn sage is found as a native plant in southwest Texas through the Chihuahuan desert into Mexico.

Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Autumn sage comes in many colors including magenta, red and purple. The size is generally two to two and a half feet tall with similar width.

Most of the branches originate near the base of the plant, giving a vase-shaped appearance. Autumn sage is usually evergreen, but a hard freeze may cause it to die to the ground, usually to reemerge in spring.

Like all perennials Autumn Sage takes two years to become established. Too much fertilizer and moisture are not beneficial for autumn sage. Autumn sage requires well-drained soil.

Hardiness: USDA Zones 7 – 9.
Propagation: Cuttings; may self-seed in mild climates

Q: Is Salvia greggii a perennial in Texas?
A: Yes, it is a woody perennial in most of Texas, especially in Zones 7–10, where it survives winter and regrows reliably each year.

Q: How often does it bloom?
A: It blooms continuously from spring through fall, with peak flushes in spring and again in fall. Removing spent flowers can extend blooming.

Q: Is it deer-resistant?
A: Yes. Salvia greggii is strongly deer-resistant due to its aromatic foliage.

Q: Does it require a lot of water?
A: No. It’s highly drought-tolerant once established and actually prefers dry to average soil moisture with good drainage.

Q: What is the best variety for beginners?
A: ‘Furman’s Red’ or ‘Lipstick’ are ideal choices. Both are reliable, forgiving, and widely available in Texas nurseries.

History from Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center

The species name “greggii” is in honor of Josiah Gregg, (1806-1850). He was born in Overton County, Tennessee. In the summer of 1841 and again in the winter of 1841-42 he traveled through Texas, up the Red River valley, and later from Galveston to Austin and by way of Nacogdoches to Arkansas. He took note of Texas geology, trees, prevalent attitudes, and politics.

At the same time, Gregg began compiling his travel notes into a readable manuscript. His “Commerce of the Prairies”, which came out in two volumes in 1844, was an immediate success.

In 1848 he joined a botanical expedition to western Mexico and California, during which he corresponded with and sent specimens to the eminent botanist George Engelman in St. Louis. Subsequently, the American Botanical Society added the Latin name “greggii” in his honor to twenty-three species of plants.