Salvia serpyllifolia
Encyclopedia
Salvia serpyllifolia is a woody perennial endemic to a small area in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi
. It was described by Merritt Lyndon Fernald
in 1900, who gave it the epithet serpyllifolia because of its small, shiny leaves—similar to the leaves of Thymus serpyllum. Salvia serpyllifolia was introduced into horticulture in 1990 from seed collected at 7,000 feet elevation. At that time it was thought to be a variety of Salvia microphylla
.
Salvia serpyllifolia is a small mounding plant that reaches 2 feet high and 3 feet wide. The .5 inch leaves are a bright glossy green which give off a faint straw-like aroma when crushed. The flowers are less than .7 inch long and are a beetroot-purple color, blooming sporadically from summer into fall. The whorls consist of 2-6 flowers each.
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
. It was described by Merritt Lyndon Fernald
Merritt Lyndon Fernald
Merritt Lyndon Fernald was an American botanist. In his time he was regarded as the most respected scholar of the taxonomy and phytogeography of the vascular plant flora of temperate eastern North America. He published more than 850 scientific papers and wrote and edited the seventh and eighth...
in 1900, who gave it the epithet serpyllifolia because of its small, shiny leaves—similar to the leaves of Thymus serpyllum. Salvia serpyllifolia was introduced into horticulture in 1990 from seed collected at 7,000 feet elevation. At that time it was thought to be a variety of Salvia microphylla
Salvia microphylla
Salvia microphylla is a perennial shrub found in the wild in southeastern Arizona and the mountains of eastern, western, and southern Mexico. It is a very complex species which easily hybridizes, resulting in numerous hybrids and cultivars brought into horticulture since the 1990s...
.
Salvia serpyllifolia is a small mounding plant that reaches 2 feet high and 3 feet wide. The .5 inch leaves are a bright glossy green which give off a faint straw-like aroma when crushed. The flowers are less than .7 inch long and are a beetroot-purple color, blooming sporadically from summer into fall. The whorls consist of 2-6 flowers each.