Cooperative Extension-Sacramento County
4145 Branch Center Road, Sacramento, CA 95827-3823
(916) 875-6913 Office  (916) 875-6233 Fax
Email: cesacramento@ucanr.edu
Website: http://cesacramento.ucanr.edu
Garden Notes
GN 159
LAMIACEAE: THE MINT FAMILY IN THE FAIR OAKS HORTICULTURE CENTER
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE
Many mint family plants make good water efficient plant choices. The family includes several culinary herbs
that grow well in our climate and are often included in water-wise gardens (basil, mint, rosemary, lavender,
hyssop, marjoram, oregano) in addition to many sages and other common garden plants.
Look for these shared qualities:
 Square stems
 Opposite leaves
 Tiny flowers
 Volatile oils in their leaves and stems, which gives them their entrancing fragrances and flavors (and
usually makes them deer resistant as well)
SALVIAS IN WEL - commonly called sages
BOTANICAL NAME
Salvia ‘Amistad’
Salvia apiana
Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’
Salvia chamaedryoides
Salvia clevelandii ‘Whirly Blue’
Salvia clevelandii ‘Winnifred Gilman’
Salvia ‘Dara’s Choice’
Salvia greggii ‘Blaze’
Salvia greggii ‘Hot Lips’
Salvia greggii ‘Lipstick’
Salvia greggii ‘Raspberry’
Salvia greggii ‘Red Lady’
Salvia greggii ‘Sparkle’
Salvia leucantha ‘Santa Barbara’
Salvia nemerosa
Salvia spathacea ‘Las Pilitas’
COMMON NAME
Sage
White sage
Bee’s Bliss salvia
Germander sage
Whirley Blue Cleveland sage
Winnifred Gilman Cleveland
sage
Dara’s Choice sage
Autumn sage
Autumn sage
Autumn sage
Autumn sage
Autumn sage
Autumn sage
Mexican bush sage
Sage
Las Pilitas hummingbird sage
LOOK FOR IT HERE
Perennial Walk
Native Plant Garden
Native Plant Garden
Perennial Walk
Perennial Walk
Native Plant Garden
Perennial Walk
Front Perimeter
Perennial Walk
Perennial Walk
Mediterranean Raised Bed
Perennial Walk
Front Perimeter
Front Perimeter
Perennial Walk
Native Plant Garden
It is the policy of the University of California (UC) and the UC Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources not to engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person in any of its programs or
activities (Complete nondiscrimination policy statement can be found at http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/187680.pdf ) Inquiries regarding ANR’s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to Linda
Marie Manton, Affirmative Action Contact, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2801 Second Street, Davis, CA 95618, (530) 750-1318.
Agriculture  Community Resource Development  Nutrition, Family and Consumer Sciences  Master Food Preservers  4-H Youth Development  Horticulture  Master Gardeners
University of California, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County of Sacramento cooperating.
Sacramento County Board of Supervisors -- Phil Serna, 1st District; Jimmy Yee, 2nd District; Susan Peters, 3rd District; Roberta MacGlashan, 4th District; and Don Nottoli, 5th District.
GN 159 LAMIACEAE: THE MINT FAMILY
PAGE 2 OF 2
OTHER LAMIACEAE
BOTANICAL NAME
Agastache x ‘Ava’
Lavandula ‘Goodwin Creek’
Lavandula augustifolia
Lavandula augustifolia ‘Hidcote Blue’
Lavandula stoechas
Lepechinia hastata
COMMON NAME
Ava’s hummingbird mint
Goodwin Creek Lavender
English lavender
English lavender
Spanish lavendar
Pitcher sage
Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walkers Low’
Perovskia atriplicifolia
Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Ken Taylor’
Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Mozart’
Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’
Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Tuscan Blue’
Stachys byzantina
Teucrium ackermanii
Teucrium chamaedrys
Teucrium cossonii majoricum
Teucrium fruticans ‘Azureum’
Catmint
Russian sage
Rosemary
Rosemary
Prostrate Rosemary
Rosemary
Lamb’s ears
Germander
Germander sage
Fruity germander
Bush germander
Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’
Creeping Thyme
Perennial Walk
Perennial Walk
Common Variety Garden
Common Variety Garden
Mediterranean Raised Bed
Front Perimeter,
Mediterranean
Common Variety Garden
Common Variety Garden
Perennial Walk
Perennial Walk
Mediterranean Raised Bed
Perennial Walk
Common Variety Garden
Perennial Walk
Perennial Walk
Perennial Walk
Common Variety Garden,
Mediterranean Garden
Common Variety Garden
For more information on plants included in the Lamiaceae family, good starting resources are:
 The Plant List (2013) Version 1.1 Published online; http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Lamiaceae/
 Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation. [web application]. 2014.
Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization].
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/specieslist.cgi?where-family=Lamiaceae
A good reference book on 150 salvias that grow well in California is:
 The New Book of Salvias: Sages for Every Garden, Betsy Clebsch, Timber Press; 2nd edition (April 15,
2008)
July 2014. Written by UC Master Gardener Pat Schink. Edited by Judy McClure, UC Master
Gardener Program Coordinator.