Meadow sage

Description:

Salvia pratensis (meadow clary or meadow sage) is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. The specific epithet pratensis refers to its tendency to grow in meadows. It also grows in scrub edges and woodland borders. Salvia pratensis is an herbaceous perennial forming a basal clump 1 to 1.5 m (3.3 to 4.9 ft) tall, with rich green rugose leaves that are slightly ruffled and toothed on the edges. The flower stalks are typically branched, with four to six flowers in each verticil. The 2.5 cm (0.98 in) flowers open from the base of the inflorescence, which grows up to 30.5 cm (12.0 in) long. The small calyx is dark brown. The flowers have a wide variety of colors, from rich violet and violet-blue to bluish white, and from pink to pure white. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, with those on the lower part of the stem up to 15 cm (5.9 in) long, decreasing in size higher up the stem.