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Lyre-leaf sage

Salvia lyrata

Summary 6

Salvia lyrata (lyre-leaf sage, lyreleaf sage, wild sage, cancerweed), is a herbaceous perennial in the family Lamiaceae that is native to the United States, from Connecticut west to Missouri, and in the south from Florida east to Texas. It was described and named by Carolus Linnaeus in 1753.

Barcode data: salvia lyrata 7

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


Distribution and adaptation 8

Lyreleaf sage can grow in full sun and light to medium shade. Native stands are found on roadsides, and in fields and open woodlands. It will grow on many types of soil.

Lyreleaf sage is distributed primarily throughout the East and lower Midwest. For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Website.

Flower visiting insects of lyre leaved sage in illinois 9

Salvia lyrata (Lyre-leaved Sage)
(insect activity is unspecified; information is limited to bees; observations are from Smith et al.)

Bees (long-tongued)
Anthophoridae (Xylocopini): Xylocopa virginica (Smh); Megachilidae (Megachilinae): Megachile mendica (Smh): Megachilidae (Osmiini): Hoplitis pilosifrons (Smh), Osmia pumila (Smh)

Management 10

Apply fertilizer according to soil test recommendations. If not available, a rate of 3.5 to 5.5 oz per 100 square feet (100 to 150 lb/acre) of 13-13-13 should be applied after the seedlings are established and annually thereafter. Because of its low-growing nature, mowing to limit competition from other plants is crucial to maintain a stand of lyreleaf sage. The initial mowing should be delayed until mid to late May (after seed matures). Plants can tolerate regular close mowing during the summer and fall. If allowed to re-grow after the initial mowing, plants often produce additional seed during the summer, but showy flowers will not be produced. However, on sites where competing vegetation provides dense cover, stands should be mowed regularly, because the small amount of additional seed produced during the summer will not justify the detrimental effects on the lyreleaf sage stand. Fall mowing is always recommended.

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Bill Shirley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/10229177@N00/442460335
  2. (c) John Flannery, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/drphotomoto/8699876045/
  3. (c) J. Michael Raby, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmr-holdit/7191010794/
  4. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/17003010576/
  5. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/16879855601/
  6. Adapted by Jonathan (JC) Carpenter from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_lyrata
  7. (c) Barcode of Life Data Systems, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/30724876
  8. Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/1393969
  9. (c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/32220816
  10. Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/1393971

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