Lyreleaf sage is an easy to grow drought tolerant perennial from the mint, or Lamiaceae/Labiatae family of plants. It typically attracts both hummingbirds and butterflies to the landscape. It has been a folklore medicinal plant and has nice flowering. Lyreleaf sage is also known as cancerweed and is botanically called Salvia lyrata.
Lyreleaf Sage Description
According to Floridata.com, lyreleaf sage is a wildflower that grows one to two feet tall with three to eight inch basal leaves. Stems are hairy and arise from the basal rosette leaves. Flowers are two-lipped and blue or lavender. Flowering is typically between April and June. Seeds are egg-shaped and will turn brown when they are matured.
Planting and Growing Cancerweed
Salvia lyrata prefers an area of the landscape that is in full sun or partial shade. The brighter the light the more intense the leaf color. It prefers moist soil but will tolerate both drought and flood conditions. Hardy in the USDA hardiness zones of five to ten, it can be propagated by seed sown densely onto stable mineral soil. Do not sow further down than 1/8-inch into the soil.
Salvia lyrata Distribution
According to the Native Plant Information Network, lyreleaf sage is distributed among several states. These states include Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Uses for Lyreleaf Sage
This low maintenance plant does well being planted in meadows, trails, and along a driveway. The leaves have a mild and minty flavor and can be used as a salad ingredient. Tea can be brewed with the seeds or leaves. Seeds are also ground into a flour to make a bread. Leaves were once a folklore remedy for cancer, hence the name of cancerweed. Other folklore remedies for lyreleaf sage include a wart remover, sore throat gargle, asthma remedy, and an astringent salve for topical sores.
Classification
Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass Asteridae
Order Lamiales
Family Lamiaceae – Mint family
Genus Salvia L. – sage
Species Salvia lyrata L. – lyreleaf sage
Sources:
- Floridata: Salvia lyrata, Copyright 1996 - 2010 Floridata.com LC, Tallahassee, Florida USA
- Native Plant Information Network : Salvia lyrata, © 2011 Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center , 4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin, Texas 78739
Tina Samuels - Tina Samuels specializes in health, animal, and gardening articles. She authored "A Georgia Native Plant Guide".
