Salvia Greggii, Autumn Sage

Salvia greggii is quite variable in color, ranging from pure red (most common, in the wild) to pink, orange and lavender; there are also various cultivated varieties displaying other shades. Flowers are bilaterally symmetric, with a wide, two-lobed lip on the under side and a smaller, narrower, somewhat hairy, glandular lobe on top, both enclosing a narrow opening leading to the wider inner section of the corolla. Big Bend National Park is one of the best locations for viewing this plant, which can grow quite large, like a bush, and has a mild minty smell.