Grape-scented Sage
Salvia melissodora
Family: Lamiaceae
Large mostly evergreen shrub growing 6-8’ tall and about 5-6’ wide. Light purple flowers smell like grape.
Full sun to light shade, probably best in part sun. Moderate to regular water, evergreen to about mid 20s, root hardy to probably about 15°F.
Flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and many other nectar-seeking insects. Moth larval food plant for the Alfalfa Looper Moth (Autographa californica), Bilobed Looper Moth (Megalographa biloba), Virginian Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), Wavy-Lined Emerald (Synchlora aerata), the geometrid Pherne subpunctata, and the plume moth (Anstenoptilia marmarodactyla).
There are 1045 species of Salvia all over the world. The genus name, salvia, comes from the Latin word salvia, which is related to the Latin words salvus (safe, healthy, secure) and salvēre (to heal, to feel healthy). The name refers to the medicinal properties of some plants in the genus. The specific epithet "melissodora" comes from the Greek "melissa" (honeybee) and "odora" (fragrance)—the fragrant and nectar-filled flowers attract many insects. Melissa is also the name of a Cretan nymph in Greek mythology who collected honey.
Native from 4,000–8,000 ft. in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range in Mexico, from Chihuahua in the north to Oaxaca in the south.