Sage advice on native plants

Autumn sage (“Seductive Scent of the West,” Sept. 9) sounds like it’s a wonderful plant to have if you live in Arizona, Texas or Mexico, where the plant is native.

Why not focus on the many amazing native sages, such as Salvia pachyphylla (rose sage) with its amazing purple- and rose-colored blooms, the sweet scent of Salvia spathacea (hummingbird sage) or Salvia clevelandii (Cleveland sage), with its beautiful purple blooms and fragrance?

Most natives are easy to grow and anything but finicky. You just dig a hole and plant them as you would any other. They don’t require much water. During a plant’s first year, I water once a week, perhaps more if it has been a dry year.

The Home section has done a great job of highlighting native plants. With 6,000 native plants in California, there are so many opportunities to highlight more.

Keith Malone

Montecito Heights

Keith Malone is communications committee chair for the Theodore Payne Foundation.

*

Iwas surprised to see some of the comments in Emily Green’s article on Salvia greggii. My native sages were not wilting after four months without water this summer. In contrast, my established Salvia greggii plants wilted within three months without water and then perked up after being watered. Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees love all of these plants equally.

Laima Harmon

West Los Angeles