Salvia lyrata

Common Names

Lyre Leaf Sage, Lyre-Leaved Sage, Lyreleaf Sage, Cancer Weed

Summary

Lyre-leaf Sage (Salvia lyrata) is a native North American perennial in the mint family, known as Lyre-leaf Sage, Lyreleaf Sage, or Cancer Weed. It grows 1–2 feet tall from a basal rosette of lyre-shaped leaves, with blue to lavender two-lipped flowers on upright spikes that bloom from spring into early summer and attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; it self-seeds to form groundcover and tolerates mowing and light foot traffic, making it suitable as a lawn substitute or in native plantings.

Its cultivation prefers full sun to partial shade in well-drained soils, tolerates drought once established and a broad moisture range, and is hardy in USDA zones 5–10. Propagation is by seed or division; it can naturalize in favorable conditions and is often used in borders, native plant gardens, rain gardens, and meadow or roadside plantings, while remaining attractive to pollinators and exhibiting deer resistance.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

12-24 inches

Spread

6-12 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-10

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun, tolerates Partial Sun, Partial Shade, and Full Shade

Soil Type

Well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained soil

Soil pH

6.8-7.2, circumneutral pH

Bloom Color

Blue to violet

Bloom Time

Spring to early Summer

Foliage Color

Green to dark green, sometimes purplish.

Fall Foliage Color

Purple

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Moderate

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division, Cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, other pollinators, and birds