Lyre-leaved Sage
Salvia lyrata
Semi-evergreen lyre-shaped rosettes topped with lavender-blue spring spikes for early native bees. Self-seeds into a dry-site groundcover.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Self-seeding, semi-evergreen, deer-resistant native groundcover with spring blue flowers. one of the most effortless natives for dry, difficult sites.
Lyre-leaved Sage is a native salvia most people have walked past without knowing it. It grows in disturbed woodland edges and old fields throughout the mid-Atlantic, and it's one of those plants that rewards a closer look. The basal rosette of deeply lobed, lyre-shaped leaves is semi-evergreen and richly textured, and in spring the light blue-lavender flower spikes rise above it for several weeks, drawing early native bees as they emerge from winter dormancy. The flowers are classic sage-family two-lipped blooms, smaller than garden salvias but unmistakably the same form. Plant Lyre-leaved Sage as a groundcover in dry, sunny or partially shaded sites where its self-seeding habit can fill in over time. It's particularly useful along path edges, under high canopy trees, or in naturalistic plantings with other dry woodland natives. The semi-evergreen foliage means there's something to look at in the garden even in mild winters, and the spring flowers are among the earliest native salvia blooms available. Deadhead after the main bloom flush to manage self-seeding and encourage potential rebloom.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown lyre-leaved sage propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 1–2 ft · 12–18 in wide
- Bloom time
- Spring
- Bloom color
- Lavender, Blue
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Native range
- Eastern and central North America from Connecticut south to Florida; dry to mesic open woods, roadsides, disturbed areas
Care notes for lyre-leaved sage.
Full to part sun, dry to average well-drained soil. Semi-evergreen; trim winter-damaged foliage in early spring. Self-seeds to spread. thin or transplant seedlings as needed. Deadhead to control seeding and encourage rebloom. Drought tolerant once established. Divide rosettes in fall or spring. No significant pest or disease issues.
Pairs well with these.
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Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.