Hi! I think the salvias that die back completely would have a chance there if they're protected with some leaf litter. I live in a pretty cold area in Victoria, Australia, and I get some wicked frost. S. hians retreats below ground as does S. glutinosa and S. miltiorrhiza. My nubicola is still in a pot so still has leaf. S. forskaolii looks ragged and hasn't died back all the way but that should make it over your winter along with S. sclarea. My S. guaranitica 'Argentine Skies' has either died or lying dormant - I'll know in spring. You might even try S. buchananii. I get nice autumnal foliage, the leaves turn reddish, then it looks dead. But it's come back two years in a row. Again, if you try this one, lots of leaf litter on top. I'm imagining all the snow you guys get wouldn't be too healthy for it.
Good Luck!
Cait

CAIT,

Where i live the temperature can get as low as -20F to -30F, so do u still think that those Salvias i mentioned will survive?

Salvia miltiorrhizae is one that id like to try growing, ive heard it grows all over China, so id assume since some parts of China are cold it will grow well here where i live??

From Betsy Clebsch Salvia book, cold hardy salvias to 10*:
aethiopis,albimaculata, argentea, arizonica, austriaca, azure var. grandiflora, caespitosa, candidissima, canescens var. daghestanica, castanea, cyanescens, digitaloides, eigii, flava, forsskaolii, frigida, glutinosa,hians, jurisicii, moorcroftiana, nemorosa, nubicola, officialis, pratensis, recognita, ringens, sclarea, staminea, transylvanica, verticillata.
A few of these might be a challenge to find.

Hey DOGBANE! The ones I mentioned, I don't grow all the ones Helena mentioned so I can't vouch for them, all set a lot of seed - except for buchananii but it's small & can be in a pot & moved to a protected area over the winter. So even if those plants die, you'll have plenty of seed to sow for next year. I'm originally from New York & I was thinking about the ones I grow here in Oz and what I thought would survive NY winter blizzards when I wrote what I did. I'd cover them with leaf litter before the snow season set in, though. But because of all the seeds I wouldn't worry too much if the parent plant died or not. You can even try coccinea. That sets lots of seed quickly & they practically germinate the day after sowing.
Have fun!
Cait

You know i like the California Salvias enough that i would move to California for just that reason, where i live now is a joke. Its good for some cold hardy stuff but i dislike the people and other reasons.

So if i could id move to cali any day.

Me too- move to Ca just to grow salvias. I just call it my fantasy-wishful thinking bc everyplace has it's downfall. If it's not the climate, it's the soil or something else.