Salvia guaranitica, S. mexicana, S. iodantha, S. karwinskii, and S. involucrata (including S. puberula) are known to do well. You might also try S. madrensis.

Stay away from the European sages and S. greggii

There a a number of other good ones I grew while living in the Houston area.

S. 'Indigo Spires' shouldn't be missed - it grows into a large shrubby plant with a tremendous flowering display. Needs cutting back occasionally. S. leucantha (Mexican bush sage), S. uliginosa (bog sage), S. microphylla and S. blepharophylla (including the cultivar 'Diablo') all performed well for me. S. coccinea is very well adapted to the region, with the most common varieties being red-flowered or a bicolor pink and white. S. elegans (pineapple sage) flowers well in the Houston area as well as having nicely scented foliage. You might also find S. sinaloensis for sale locally - vivid small dark blue flowers. The plants tended to be short-lived in my experience. S. darcyi is one more fairly good red to try.

Thank you both I will be sure to stay away from European sages and S. greggii. I will print out the suggested ones and take with me to the Arbor Gate next week when I go. If they are perennial's I will give them a try. Cj

Try S. gesnerfolia/fulgens, S. fallax, S. holwayi, S. polystachya, S. rubignosa for something different and probably very good in your climate, if you can find them. The first three are pretty reliable late fall / winter bloomers here in Austin, and the last two are more borderline here (depending on the weather), but might work for you there.

I think many of the European sages can work for you if you plant them in gravelly soil. They make nice winter plants with very early spring bloom. In fact, they are among the most reliable winter interest plants I grow in Austin, and I am closer to your climate and soil than other parts of town here. The problem is that some of them will act as annuals in our climates, dying in the summer.

Try S. microphylla "Hot Lips". I agree that the greggii's are probably going to be a problem there, as they are over-rated here and I would think the problem with high humidity in the summer in Houston would only make them perform worse.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

FWIW: Here is an addendum to my recent post:

Also try S. sp. "El Cielo Blue", S. sp. "Blue Chiquita", S. sp. "Silver Leaf", and S. sp. "from Smith College". These are all incredibly easy here, but some how not widely used or available. All are reliably long fall bloomers, sometimes with a minor bloom in the spring, except the Smith College species which is a late bloomer and sometimes nipped by early frost.

These should be available from Richard Dufresne, if you would like to try them (the other ones I listed in my previous post should be sometimes available from him too).

You may also try to find some of the ones I have listed at Schumacher's Hill Country Gardens in New Braunfels if you are ever in that area. He has the biggest selection of salvia in the Austin/San Antonio area, although the ones that are available fluctuates over time.

John R in NM/TX