Blue vine sage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blue vine sage |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Salvia
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| Species: |
cacaliifolia
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The blue vine sage, also known as Salvia cacaliifolia or Guatemalan sage, is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which includes mints. This plant grows naturally in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico, and in countries like Guatemala and Honduras. It can be found at high elevations, usually between 1,500 and 2,500 meters (about 4,900 to 8,200 feet) above sea level.
This lovely plant has been known in the United Kingdom for many years. An Irish gardener and journalist named William Robinson first noticed it in 1933. Later, in the 1970s, it became available in the United States. This happened after places like Strybing Arboretum and Huntington Botanical Gardens introduced it to gardeners in California.
What's in a Name?
The scientific name for this plant is Salvia cacaliifolia. The second part of its name, cacaliifolia, tells us something special about its leaves. It means "with leaves like Cacalia". Cacalia was an older name for a group of plants that are now called something else.
Sometimes, you might see the name spelled cacaliaefolia. However, cacaliifolia is the correct way to spell it. This system of naming plants with two parts is called Binomial nomenclature. It helps scientists around the world know exactly which plant they are talking about.
Plant Features and Growth
The blue vine sage is an herbaceous perennial. This means it's a plant with soft stems (not woody like a tree) that lives for more than two years. It blooms from mid-summer all the way into autumn. Its flowers are a stunning pure gentian-blue color and are about 1.3 centimeters (0.5 inches) long. Each flower has small green parts at its base called calyces.
The leaves of this plant are a fresh grass-green color and have many tiny hairs. The plant has roots that spread out underground, called a creeping rootstock. This helps it form new clumps easily, which can then be divided to grow more plants.
This sage grows well in places with a mild climate. However, it doesn't like freezing temperatures. If winters are cold and wet, the plant needs protection to survive. Luckily, it's quite easy to grow new plants from cuttings, which are small pieces taken from the parent plant.
This beautiful plant has received a special honor called the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. This award means it's an excellent plant for gardens.
See also
In Spanish: Salvia cacaliifolia para niños
