Salvia lavanduloides

Salvia lavanduloides is an aromatic perennial of the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to Mexico and Central America, where it grows in pine-oak woodland, open scrub and disturbed montane ground. A subshrubby to shrubby sage usually less than a metre tall, it has the square stems and opposite leaves typical of the family, the foliage narrow, somewhat greyish and softly hairy, recalling lavender in aspect and releasing an aromatic scent when bruised, which is reflected in its specific epithet. The two-lipped flowers are small and borne in interrupted whorls along slender, elongated terminal spikes, ranging from pale blue to violet or purplish, with the projecting lower lip and arching upper lip characteristic of Salvia. Each flower is subtended by small bracts and produces the four nutlets typical of the mint family within the persistent calyx. Flowering over an extended season, the plant is visited by bees and other pollinators. It is a common and variable species across its range, frequent in highland habitats, and is valued locally both for its aroma and its use in traditional remedies.