Salvia reptans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Salvia reptans |
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Salvia reptans is a cool plant that lives for many years. It grows naturally in the mountains of Texas, Mexico, and Guatemala. You can often find it in dry riverbeds and rocky soil. People started growing this plant in gardens in the 1800s. It used to have other names like S. angustifolia and S. leptophylla, which both mean "slender leaves." The name reptans means "creeping," because of how the plant grows along the ground.
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What is Salvia reptans?
Salvia reptans is a type of plant known for its interesting growth habits. It's a member of the sage family, which includes many plants with beautiful flowers and often a nice smell. This particular sage is special because it can grow in different ways.
How Does Salvia reptans Grow?
The Salvia reptans you might see in gardens often has many stems that spread out or lie close to the ground. This makes it a great plant for covering the ground. There's another type of Salvia reptans that grows wild in western Texas. This wild form stands upright and can reach about 3 feet (about 90 cm) tall. There's also a variety called S. reptans var. glabra that grows naturally in Texas too.
When grown in gardens, Salvia reptans can spread out to be 3 feet (about 90 cm) wide or even more. It has many thin, dark stems. These stems can form a nice green carpet on the ground. The leaves are narrow and a pretty mistletoe-green color, but they are not very dense on the plant.
What Do the Flowers Look Like?
The flowers of Salvia reptans are small, about 0.5 inches (about 1.3 cm) long. They have bright blue petals, which are called corollas. These blue flowers grow out of dark cups, called calyces. The contrast between the dark cups and the bright blue flowers makes them stand out.
Where Can You Find Salvia reptans?
This plant is native to specific regions, meaning it naturally grows there. It loves dry, rocky places.
What Are Its Native Homes?
Salvia reptans is originally from the mountains of the Trans-Pecos region in Texas. It also grows naturally in parts of Mexico and Guatemala. These areas often have dry climates and rocky soils, which are perfect for this plant. It likes to grow where water might flow sometimes, like in dry streambeds.
Images for kids
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A close-up of Salvia reptans flowers.
