Covenant's Color Garden: Salvias
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Salvia greggii ‘Radio Red’It’s known by many names including Autumn sage, Texas sage, and Gregg Salvia. It produces intensely red tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and long-tongued bees. It forms a pleasing mounding shrub of about 3’ X 3’ that benefits from the occasional trim. Salvia greggii come in a variety of colors. Native.
The species name “greggii” is in honor of Josiah Gregg (1806-1850), a Tennessean who traveled through Texas and took note of its geology, trees, prevalent attitudes, and politics. From his travel notes, he published “Commerce of the Prairies”, which came out in two volumes in 1844. The American Botanical Society added the Latin name “greggii” in his honor to twenty-three species of plants. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
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