Pollinator plant

Purple Wood Sage

Salvia nemorosa

Pollinator recipe
Sign in to use recipes

Common names

9 names

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Catalogue language labels are reviewed separately from botanical source records.

English
  • Balkan Clary[1]
  • Purple Wood Sage[2]
  • Violet Sage[1]
  • Woodland Sage[1]
Dutch
French
  • Sauge des bois[2]
German
  • Hain-Salbei[2]
  • Steppen-Salbei[2]
Spanish
  • salvia del bosque[2]

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Salvia nemorosa — Plant Toolbox common names ↗

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; English common names in a United States horticultural reference.

Source records
  • Balkan Clary — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(1); heading: Common Name(s):; Salvia nemorosa.
  • Violet Sage — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(2); heading: Common Name(s):; Salvia nemorosa.
  • Woodland Sage — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(3); heading: Common Name(s):; Salvia nemorosa.
[2] Salvia nemorosa — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy. This is a common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Hain-Salbei — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 168387; Salvia nemorosa.
  • Steppen-Salbei — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 168387; Salvia nemorosa.
  • Purple Wood Sage — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 168387; Salvia nemorosa.
  • salvia del bosque — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 168387; Salvia nemorosa.
  • Sauge des bois — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 168387; Salvia nemorosa.
  • Bossalie — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 168387; Salvia nemorosa.
Plant references

Source-backed information

Published observations for this plant. Each reference supports the information beside it.

Taxonomy
Salvia nemorosa is an accepted species in Catalogue of Life.

Taxonomic treatment in the August 2026 release; the catalogue record name is preserved.

Sources [1]
Botanical family
Lamiaceae

Family in the cited taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Mature height
0.46–0.91 m

NC State Extension profile. Converted from the source range in feet and inches; mature size varies with growing conditions.

Sources [2]
Mature spread
0.15–0.61 m

NC State Extension profile. Converted from the source range in feet and inches; mature size varies with growing conditions.

Sources [2]
Plant habit
Clumping; Erect; Multi-stemmed

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Life cycle
Perennial

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Moisture and drainage
Good Drainage; Moist; Occasionally Dry

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Sand; Shallow Rocky

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Flowering season
Autumn; Summer

NC State Extension profile. Seasons reflect the source region and do not verify the catalogue’s exact flowering months.

Sources [2]
Native range
Europe and west-central Asia

NC State Extension profile. Origin reported by the source; this is not a claim of local nativeness.

Sources [2]
Reported wildlife attraction
Listed as attracting: bees, butterflies, hummingbirds.

NC State Extension profile. Broad wildlife categories; this does not establish flower visits by a named bee species or quantify nectar and pollen.

Sources [2]
Pollinator guidance
RHS includes Salvia species in its Plants for Pollinators guidance.

Genus-level guidance, not a rating for this individual species or a particular cultivar. RHS planting guidance. Choose accessible flowers with pollen and nectar; reduced-resource and double-flowered forms may be unsuitable. This entry covers autumn-flowering types.

Sources [3] [3]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

Medium suitability
Nectar value Medium
Pollen value Unknown
Plant profile

About this plant

Balkan Clary (Salvia nemorosa) is a herbaceous plant. It flowers from June to September.

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Salvia nemorosa — Catalogue of Life COL26.8

    COL26.8 (2026-08-20). Contributing checklist: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World. This is taxonomic evidence, not an independent ecological study.

    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: NameUsage.tsv line 2436267; ID 6XGRM; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 2436267; ID 6XGRM; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. NC State Extension Salvia nemorosa — Plant Toolbox

    NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Growing conditions and seasons reflect its United States horticultural context.

    Supports: Mature heightMature spreadPlant habitLife cycleLightMoisture and drainageSoil textureFlowering seasonNative rangeReported wildlife attraction
    Relevant sections
    • Mature height: Dimensions / Height
    • Mature spread: Dimensions / Width
    • Plant habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Light: Light
    • Moisture and drainage: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Flowering season: Flower Bloom Time
    • Native range: Country Or Region Of Origin
    • Reported wildlife attraction: Attracts

    Source checked on .

  3. Royal Horticultural Society RHS Plants for Pollinators — Garden Plants

    RHS planting guidance; applicable flower-form restrictions are retained. General recommendations do not measure local nectar or pollen production.

    Supports: Pollinator guidancePollinator guidance
    Relevant sections
    • Pollinator guidance: Page 4, column 2, entry Salvia species (top 652 pt)
    • Pollinator guidance: Page 5, column 2, entry Salvia species (top 697 pt)

    Source checked on .