From many years of growing Salvias, I feel that most insist on secure drainage, half-day shade, and regular watering in dry periods. But this is not relevant to Californian species, which require a dry area after flowering.

Let us know what you are growing.

Regards, Robin.

corrugata (I've planted 2 of these in full sun and they've promptly gone belly-up, so now will go in partial shade)

Carol's Dream

Frieda Dixon

Byron Flynt

macrophylla

I've tried Limelight here before twice, both times in full sun and have now put it in partial.
I've planted wagneriana in partial also.
gesneriflora is in full sun but doesn't look happy.
Likewise involucrata.

I'm trying in full sun
Costa Rica Blue
Russell's Form
Omaha Gold
Huntington Gardens
Tequila
I don't know if the above will stand up to the full sun here.
I've put macrophylla in partial shade, but saw it growing in full sun 10 miles from here.
I've put rubescens in partial shade.
I simply don't have enough room for partial shade and would like to get as much as possible in full sun, but our sun seems to be so much hotter now.
Some I'm trying in sun and shade, such as Mole Poblano.
I think most would do better here in partial shade, but need to find out just how far I can push which ones in full sun.
I've got about 200 species and varieties now that I'm propagating and it's a continuing learning experience. Will also have to squeeze in a small greenhouse somewhere before winter..I wouldn't have thought that before, but this last winter was the first time we've had frost on our property in 24 years. We were pretty much unaffected, but still will have things in pots now instead of all in the ground, so I'll have to prepare. Thanks for any advice...aren't you sorry you asked? LOL....
Sherry

Those that like afternoon shade:
"Waverly"
uliginosa
sylvestris
x suberba
scabra
sagittata
patans
nemorosa
muelleri
mexicana
melissandora
lyrata
iodantha
guarentica
forskaohlei
farinacia
eglans
discolor
coccinea
chiapensis
buchananii
blepharophylla

Those I've almost given up on:
guarantica, except for B&B
holwayi
mellifera
mexicana "Limelight"
mexicana x hispanica "Byron Flint"

I've listed in species because, with rare exceptions, what I've given is fairly true for that species in my yard. I've tried others ( that are no longer in my data base ) that are just too delicate for our super hot summers and dry air... even in the shade of the somewhat protected front slope. All plants get weekly water, and sometimes supplimental if someone is languishing.

Salvia greggii x microphylla (var. grahamii as marked by Far North Gardens ca. 1984) is the name for Maraschino, my very first hybrid that I released in the mid 80s.

Melissodora, chamaedryoides, semiatrata, chionophylla should take a lot of heat and sun. The Tarahumara Indian Sage (melissodora) was collected near Copper Canyon in Mexico, growing in arroyos in full sun.

As a rule of thumb, the wider and thinner, the glossier, and the greener the foliage, the more they will need shade. Tall broad leaved forms especially. The smaller and thicker the leaves, the grayer (covered with fine reflecting hairs), the more aromatic, the woodier the stems, the more they are adapted to sun. Part of the fun of growing new sages is "reading" their appearance to guess at their optimum native environment and trying to match that with your own range of microclimates.

As an example, chionophylla grows amongst rocks that obstruct spring runoff on the hills around the Chihuahuan Desert. The rocks slow down the runoff, causing the development of pools and deposition of organic matter and finer soils. Chionophylla exploits this by forming stems that rapidly grow along the ground towards cooler, damper, richer soil, rooting rapidly as it goes and forming tufts of stems that rapidly flower as the weather warms up.

Madrensis has very sturdy deeply quadrangular stems and very robust nodes, leading me to think it has developed for wind resistance. I would look for it in passes through mountains in the Sierra Madre. It forms long-lived patches, where I would expect regular annual runoff of water to collect, with modest meandering of the flows.

It helps to study plants in the field to confirm and fine tune these observations. But you can do this in your gardens, too.

However, I'm just north of Sacramento, and we tend to get more humidity than Fresno...and I have a stream and pond just to the upper right of this pic, which adds a lot of moisture to the air. :)

Here it is this morning, with S. microphylla 'San Carlos Festival' at its feet.

Brenda

Robin.