Salvia thymoides facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Salvia thymoides |
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Salvia thymoides is a special plant that stays green all year round. It's a type of shrub, which is like a small, bushy tree. This plant grows naturally in a small area of Mexico, right where the states of Oaxaca and Puebla meet.
You can find Salvia thymoides growing high up in the mountains, usually between 2,100 and 2,700 meters (about 7,000 to 9,000 feet) above sea level. Its favorite place to live is in what's called a cloud forest. These forests are often covered in fog and get lots of rain, which helps the plants stay moist and happy.
The plant got its name from a botanist, George Bentham, in 1833. The second part of its name, thymoides, means "like thyme." This is because its small leaves look a lot like the leaves of the herb thyme. Even though it's a beautiful plant, it's not very common in gardens. People started growing it in gardens only in the 1980s.
What Salvia thymoides Looks Like
Salvia thymoides grows straight up and can reach about 30 centimeters (1 foot) tall and wide. It has many small, grey-green leaves that are about 0.6 centimeters (0.25 inches) long. These leaves stay on the plant all year, making it look full and green.
The flowers of Salvia thymoides are a pretty purple-blue color and are about 1.3 centimeters (0.5 inches) long. Each flower sits in a tiny, dark purple cup called a calyx. The flowers grow in groups called whorls, which are found on a short stem that is about 5 centimeters (2 inches) long.
