Southern river sage, Creeping sage
Salvia misella
Lamiaceae


Landscape Uses:

Primarily recommended for natural landscapes. Also a creeping groundcover in moist to relatively dry areas.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

Primarily associated with disturbed uplands and can become weedy, but it is relatively easy to control.
Availability:
Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida. Available in Boynton Beach at Sustaincape Florida (561-245-5305) and in Lake Worth at Indian Trails Native Nursery (561-641-9488) and at Amelia's SmartyPlants (561-540-6296)..
Description:
Small herbaceous wildflower, usually creeping along the ground; dormant in the winter in the northernmost parts of its range.
Height:
About 3-9 inches in height. Spreading and forming large, open or dense patches several feet across.
Growth Rate:
Fast.
Range:
Scattered from Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland north to Brevard, Marion, Alachua and Citrus counties, perhaps spreading north; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.
Habitats:
Disturbed uplands and (rarely) hammock edges, including shell mounds.
Soils:
Moist to moderately dry, well-drained sandy, limestone, or organic soils, with or without humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements:
Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance:
High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements:
Light shade to full sun.
Flower Color:
Blue.
Flower Characteristics:
Semi-showy.
Flowering Season:
Spring-fall.
Fruit:
Inconspicuous nutlet.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Nectar plant for butterflies. This has been reported as a possible larval host plant for the Fulvous hairstreak in Cuba (Fernández-Hernández 2007), along with other native sage (Salvia) species.
Horticultural Notes:
Can be grown from cuttings, division or seed.
Comments:


Shirley Denton
Jane Thompson
Jane Thompson
Jane Thompson
Jane Thompson