Buchanan's sage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Buchanan's sage |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Salvia
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| Species: |
buchananii
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Salvia buchananii, also known as Buchanan's sage, is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the mint family, called Lamiaceae. This plant is a perennial, meaning it lives for more than two years. It can be a small shrub or a plant with soft stems.
For about 50 years, people grew Buchanan's sage in gardens. They didn't know it grew in the wild! Then, it was finally found growing naturally in the northeastern part of Querétaro, Mexico.
Contents
How Buchanan's Sage Was Found
A Garden Mystery
In the 1950s, an interesting plant was growing in an English family's garden in Mexico City. No one knew exactly what kind of Salvia it was. It was a mystery!
Journey to England
Around the 1960s, a seed from this mystery plant traveled all the way to England. There, a man named Sir Charles Buchanan grew it. Because he grew it, some people started calling it Buchanan's fuchsia sage.
Getting a Name
Later, in 1963, a plant expert named Ian Charleson Hedge officially described the plant. He gave it the scientific name Salvia buchananii in a special book called the Botanical Magazine.
What Buchanan's Sage Looks Like
Size and Leaves
Buchanan's sage usually grows about 1 to 2 feet (30-60 cm) tall. It spreads out about 1 foot (30 cm) wide. Its leaves are a shiny green color. They are spaced out nicely along the plant's stems.
Beautiful Flowers
The flowers of this sage are a rich, bright magenta color. They are quite long, about two inches (5 cm) in length. These pretty flowers rarely produce seeds.
Where Buchanan's Sage Grows Naturally
This plant was discovered growing in the wild in Mexico. It likes places like cloud forests, where it's often misty. It also grows in pine-oak forests and areas with thick oak trees. These natural homes are all in the far northeastern part of the state of Querétaro, Mexico. Salvia buchananii looks a lot like another plant called Salvia blepharophylla.
Growing Buchanan's Sage
Caring for the Plant
Buchanan's sage grows best in a mild climate. This means it likes temperatures that are not too hot and not too cold. It does not like frost at all! If winters are cold and wet, the plant needs protection to stay healthy.
Easy to Grow More Plants
It's quite easy to make more Buchanan's sage plants. You can do this by taking small pieces of the plant, called cuttings. These cuttings can then grow into new plants.
Special Award
This lovely plant has even won an award! It received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. This award means it's a great plant for gardens.
See also
In Spanish: Salvia buchananii para niños
