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Salvia verbenaca - Wild Clary

Phylum: Magnoliophyta - Class: Equisetopsida - Order: Lamiales - Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia verbenaca

Description

Wild Clary, also sometimes referred to as Wild Sage, is a robust perennial with branching hairy stems. Plants can grow to 50cm and occasionally more. Its basal leaves are toothed and range from 3 to 10 cm in length. In the UK, the relatively short-lived violet to purple flowers appear from June to early September, depending on location; whereas in souther France this lovely wildflowers is at its peak in May, while further south in Portugal's Algarve region April is the peak flowering time.

Wild Clary, southern France

Habitat

This is a wildflower that favours neutral and alkaline soils and is most prolific in open areas where it gets plenty of sunhine.

Salvia verbenaca, Algarve, Portugal

Distribution

Wild Clary can be found in the south of England, mainly in a few localised colonies; elsewhere in Britain and Ireland this lovely wildflower is now a rare sight..

In the Mediterranean region Wild Clary can be found flowering almost all through the year but mainly during January to May. This member of the Mint family and is sadly in serious decline in parts of northern Europe. It can occasionally be found in open pine forests and maquis, but is mainly confined to fallow culivated land which has not been treated with the herbicides that have been the death of many wildflowers.

Salvia verbenaca, closeup of flowers

This specimens shown on this page were photographed in the Algarve, Portugal, in April and in the Lot Valley, France, in May.


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