Salvia koyamae
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JAPANESE YELLOW SAGE, WOODLAND SAGE
Family: Lamiaceae
Pronounced: SAL-vee-ah ko-YAM-aye
GROWING GUIDE
Geographic Origin:
Japan.
Plant Group:
Perennial.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: Not listed.
USDA zones: 4b-10.
Mature size:
Height: 20-30 inches (50-60 cm).
Width: 18 inches (45 cm).
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Flowering attributes: Pale yellow flowers on tall stems.
Leaf attributes: Hairy, arrow-shaped (hastate), 6 inches long and 5 inches wide, green leaves.
Growth habit: Spreading.
Light: Partial shade.
Soil: Humus rich, fertile, well-drained, moist soil.
Feeding: Side dress with compost or manure. Fertilize monthly, spring through early summer, with a complete organic fertilizer.
Propagation Methods: Divide in spring. | Softwood cuttings in spring. | Semi-ripe cuttings in late summer.
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Rainy Side Notes
We do not normally think of sage plants growing in a shady woodland garden. Along comes this beautiful sage, Salvia koyamae, that not only thrives in shade, but makes a beautiful ground cover with its bold, arrow-shaped foliage. The foliage is the main reason I grow it. The pale yellow flowers are a bonus in late summer into fall and light up a shady area. I cultivate mine under birch trees, where they flourish. Although you can place them in a full sun garden, they do better growing in partial shade, where they can spread out as a ground cover.
S. koyamae comes from Honshu, the largest island in Japan, where it is rarely found growing wild.
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Debra Teachout-Teashon
Photographed in author's garden.
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