Big Red Sage - Center For Plant Conservation
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Plant Profile

Big Red Sage (Salvia pentstemonoides)

This shot shows the basal rosettes. Photo Credit: San Antonio Botanical Garden
  • Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
  • Legal Status: N/A
  • Family: Lamiaceae
  • State: TX
  • Nature Serve ID: 134863
  • Date Inducted in National Collection: 02/25/1988
Description:

Big red sage is a beautiful perennial in the mint family. Sometimes growing to a height of five feet, its burgundy-red tubular flowers are a favorite with the hummingbirds (Enquist 1987). It is found in Central Texas growing along stream banks amongst the limestone outcroppings. Herbicides, erosion, and the lowering of the water table in the Texas Hill Country are its main threats. The San Antonio Botanical Garden maintains a collection in their greenhouses and on the grounds (Merritt, 2001. pers. comm.).

Where is Big Red Sage (Salvia pentstemonoides) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Found along stream beds in open mesic woods, the big red sage grows in limestone-derived soils of clay or silt (NatureServe 2016).

Distribution:

This taxon is endemic to the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas (Correll and Johnston 1996).

States & Provinces:

Big Red Sage can be found in Texas

Which CPC Partners conserve Big Red Sage (Salvia pentstemonoides)?

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

  • 09/27/2020
  • Genetic Research

Schaal et al. (1992) found that this species has low levels of genetic variation, a pattern that appears to be consistent with a species that has always had a fairly low level of genetic diversity.

  • 09/27/2020
  • Demographic Research

Poole and Janssen (1996) reported on a four-year survey of demographic trends for one location of this species on a highway rights-of-way.

  • 09/27/2020
  • Propagation Research

The San Antonio Botanical Garden have found big red sage germinates easily from seed.

  • 09/27/2020
  • Seed Collection

Through the years. SABG staff has collected seed for germination studies and research purposes.

  • 09/27/2020
  • Living Collection

The San Antonio Botanical Garden maintains a living collection in their cold frame, test plots, and on the grounds.

Nature Serve Biotics
  • 05/02/2017

Endemic to the Edwards Plateau of Texas. Thought to be extinct until one large and several very small populations were found in the late 1980s. An early and long summer flood in 1997 killed the largest part of the largest population, leaving only a few hundred total individuals left in the wild. There are about a dozen historical occurrences, some of which are of uncertain location and/or occur on private land and haven't been searched for in recent years; if these were rediscovered, the conservation status of this species might improve (Poole, J., pers. comm., Oct. 31, 1997).

Cindy Barrett
  • 01/01/2010

Herbicides Lowering of water table Grazing Collecting Erosion

Cindy Barrett
  • 01/01/2010

Recently rediscovered 300 individuals in 5 sites; 3 protected sites in Lost Maples State Park; 10 historical sites

Cindy Barrett
  • 01/01/2010

The San Antonio Botanical Garden have found big red sage germinates easily from seed. Poole and Janssen (1996) reported on a four-year survey of demographic trends for one location of this species on a highway rights-of-way. Schaal et al. (1992) found that this species has low levels of genetic variation, a pattern that appears to be consistent with a species that has always had a fairly low level of genetic diversity.

Cindy Barrett
  • 01/01/2010

The San Antonio Botanical Garden maintains a living collection in their cold frame, test plots, and on the grounds. Through the years. SABG staff has collected seed for germination studies and research purposes.

Cindy Barrett
  • 01/01/2010

Because the number of plants in each population is so low, possible augmentation of these populations may be needed.

Cindy Barrett
  • 01/01/2010

Collection of seeds from the various populations in the wild need to be collected and sent to the National Seed Storage Lab.

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Nomenclature
Taxon Salvia pentstemonoides
Authority Kunth & Bouche
Family Lamiaceae
CPC Number 3805
ITIS 32732
USDA SAPE6
Common Names Big Red Sage
Associated Scientific Names Salvia penstemonoides
Distribution This taxon is endemic to the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas (Correll and Johnston 1996).
State Rank
State State Rank
Texas S1
Ecological Relationships

Big red sage needs to grow in seeps with good drainage. Because of the lowering of the water table, due to drought and development, this plant struggles to survive in the wild (Barrett 2000).

Photos

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