About Salvia karwinskii Benth.
Salvia karwinskii, commonly called Karwinski's sage, is a perennial shrub native to the moist mountain forests of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. It typically grows in or near pine or oak forests, at elevations between 4,000 and 8,000 feet (1,200 to 2,400 meters). In its native range, it is recognized as a honey-producing plant, but it is rarely cultivated in private gardens. Cultivated specimens can be seen at Strybing Arboretum, Huntington Botanical Gardens, and the University of California Botanical Garden. When grown in California gardens, it reaches 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall and 4 feet (1.2 meters) wide; wild specimens can grow up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) tall. Its flowers measure 1 inch across, are inflated with two lips, and range in color from brick-red and rose-red to scarlet. The flowers are borne on numerous 15-inch racemes. The flower calyx is an attractive dark red and is about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) long. The plant's stems and leaf petioles are covered in short wooly hairs, which gives them a gray appearance. Its rough evergreen leaves grow to 6 inches (15 cm) long, have visible veining on the underside, and are covered in light cream-colored hairs.
