Stay in the know about wildlife, water quality, and ecosystems on Sanibel and Captiva Islands and in Southwest Florida
Meet the Natives: Wild Sage
This week we are going to highlight the wild sage (Lantana involucrata), which is also known as buttonsage.
“These beautiful, small- to medium-sized shrubs are found in coastal counties, from Pinellas and Brevard Counties south to Monroe County and into the Keys,” said SCCF Native Landscapes & Garden Center Sophie Carpenter. “If you’re looking to incorporate an easy to maintain shrub that won’t take over your garden, wild sage is a great choice, growing to only about 4-6 feet tall, with a similar width.”
Wild sage grows natively in coastal hammocks, thickets, and pine rocklands, and prefers full sun and sandy, well-draining soils. Once established, these shrubs are moderately quick growing, drought-tolerant, and salt spray-tolerant.
Wild sage is evergreen and has small, round leaves that can be crushed up to produce a fragrant sage scent. They bloom year round, producing clusters of small but showy white to pink flowers. Following their blooms, wild sage produces gorgeous pink to purple fruits that grow in small clusters.
“Incorporate wild sage into your garden as an attractive, easy-to-manage shrub that also provides an excellent source of nectar and food for our pollinators and wildlife,” Carpenter said.
Wild sage’s fragrant flowers attract both bees and butterflies, from small skipper butterflies to larger swallowtail butterflies such as the giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes). Their colorful berries also feed various bird species.
“Be careful when purchasing wild sage, as many nurseries and big box stores will sell the invasive Lantana strigocamara, also known as common lantana or shrub verbena,” Carpenter said. “Both the leaves and flowers are larger than the native wild sage, and flower color can range from orange to pink. The nonnative species is a Category I invasive, and once escaped from cultivation can become a dominant understory species, displacing native plants and wildlife.”
Purchase native wild sage from a reputable native nursery such as SCCF’s Native Landscapes & Garden Center at 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL.