Salvia indica

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Salvia indica, known as pied sage or two-lip spotted sage, is a perennial herb in the mint family. It comes from Western Asia, including Israel, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey, and was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. In gardens it often lives only about two years. It grows on rocky limestone slopes at elevations from about 350 to 1,500 meters and flowers in April and May. The plant forms a tall, erect clump of grassy-green, oval leaves with scalloped edges, and the leaves are hairy. Flower stalks rise from the center and can reach 0.6–1.2 meters tall, with whorls of four to six two-lipped flowers that open gradually. The upper lip is bright lilac and about an inch long, while the lower lip is shorter with purple and brown spots on a white background. Flowers last for about a month. Salvia indica is usually grown from seed, and seedlings often appear near the plant. In the garden it prefers full sun, loose, well-drained loam, and tolerates dry soil after flowering. It can withstand brief cold snaps down to about −7°C (20°F). There is some evidence that plant extracts may have antifungal properties.