Parry's Sage
Salvia parryi
Family: Lamiaceae
Herbaceous perennials up to almost 4’ tall. More commonly between 1-2’ tall and a bit wider than tall. Purplish blue flowers April through August.
Full to part sun, moderate water, hardy to about 10°F. Good drainage is probably a good idea.
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 species, parryi, is named for Dr. Charles Christopher Parry (1823-1890), an English-born American botanist and botanical collector with the Pacific Railway Survey.
This species has many medicinal uses.
Found in gravelly or sandy soils; 3,500-5,000 ft in Arizona, New Mexico, and south into northern Mexico.