Salvia palaestina


Salvia palaestina is a herbaceous perennial native to a wide area including what was historically known as Palestine, and is also native to Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, the Sinai peninsula and northeastern Egypt. It was named and described by George Bentham in 1835, with the specific epithet referring to its geographical distribution "in Palæstinæ montibus inter Gaza et Jerusalem", or the mountains between Gaza and Jerusalem.
S. palaestina grows in a wide variety of habitats, between elevation. It was introduced into horticulture in the 1990s. The plant grows tall, with an upright habit and many square stems growing from basal roots. The mid-green rugose leaves vary in shape and size, with light hairs on both sides, and glands that release a scent when rubbed or crushed. The inflorescences grow candelabrum-like at the top of the stems, with 4–6 flowers per whorl. The flowers are straight and tubular, ranging in color from white to pale lilac.