Flower profile

Giant blue sage

Salvia azurea

Native in the lower 48

Giant blue sage is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in August–November.

27states

3of our state lists

7,912U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma

Quick look

Salvia azurea, the blue sage or azure sage, is a herbaceous perennial in the genus Salvia that is native to Central and Eastern North America.
From Wikipedia's article Salvia azurea, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 27 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. ^NatureServe
In Kansas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–October. ^iNaturalist
In Oklahoma, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–October. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,133 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #9 among the 109 flowers on our Kansas list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 681 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #47 among the 110 flowers on our Oklahoma list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 379 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #29 among the 108 flowers on our Nebraska list. ^iNaturalist

Giant blue sage gift ideas

Handmade giant blue sage gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (607 records)

Bloom time in each of our 3 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Kansas	Native	July–October	1,133
Oklahoma	Native	August–October	681
Nebraska	Native	August–October	379

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Kansas: No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Kansas.
Oklahoma: No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Nebraska: Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. ^{163 NAC 4-004}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Salvia coccinea (“Scarlet Sage”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records giant blue sage in 27 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin.

Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Graham, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Ness, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sheridan, Smith, Stafford, Sumner, Trego, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte.

Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Adair, Atoka, Beckham, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Cherokee, Cleveland, Comanche, Craig, Creek, Custer, Delaware, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Greer, Harper, Haskell, Jackson, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Latimer, Le Flore, Logan, Major, Marshall, Mayes, McClain, McCurtain, Murray, Muskogee, Noble, Oklahoma, Osage, Ottawa, Payne, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Roger Mills, Rogers, Seminole, Tulsa, Washita, Woods, Woodward.

Nebraska counties with USDA records: Gage, Jefferson, Kearney, Lancaster, Otoe, Pawnee, Perkins, Richardson, Saunders, Seward, Thayer, Webster.