Meadow Clary
Salvia pratensis
Washington State Classification
Class A — Eradication Required Statewide
It invades rangeland and poses a threat to forage production and plant diversity by displacing less competitive, more desirable species.
Quick Reference
Identification
Growth Habit
It is a fibrous-rooted perennial, ranging from 1 to 2 feet tall. Leaves are mostly basal with a long stem. The plant is aromatic and covered with small hairs, with the upper plant parts being glandular.
Leaves
Leaves are opposite, egg shaped to oblong, and may also be heart shaped with a notch at the base and wrinkled. They are 3 to 6 inches long. Margins can be irregularly toothed or rounded.
Flowers
Flowers are irregularly spaced along the stem at 4 to 8 per node, in a whorl. They are violet-blue but can also range from rose to dark violet in cultivated varieties. Small bracts occur just under each whorl of flowers.
Fruit & Seeds
Flowers form 4 nutlets, with each nutlet containing one seed.
Impact
It invades rangeland and poses a threat to forage production and plant diversity by displacing less competitive, more desirable species. It is a close relative of Mediterranean sage (Salvia aethiopis) which is also a Class A noxious weed in Washington.
Ecology & Spread
Habitat
Meadow clary has been found in dry well drained sites as well as less well drained meadow areas. Please click here to see a county level distribution map of meadow clary in Washington.
Spread Mechanisms
Reproduction
Meadow clary reproduces by seed.
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