Salvia carduacea, the thistle sage,[1] is a herbaceous perennial shrub native to California and Baja California, found up to 1400 m elevation. It responds drastically to its environment, growing anywhere from 15 cm to 1 m in height. The wooly white basal leaves resemble a thistle's, with long spines, while the flowers grow in whorls on calyces that are wooly and spiny. The flowers are a vibrant lavender with bright orange anthers. The foliage is pungent, with a scent similar to citronella.[2]

Salvia carduacea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Lamiaceae
Genus:	Salvia
Species:	S. carduacea
Binomial name
Salvia carduacea Benth.

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Salvia carduacea.

• Salvia carduacea in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley
• "Salvia carduacea". Calflora. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database.
• "Salvia carduacea". Plants for a Future.
• USDA Plants Profile
• Jepson manual