Salvia lyrata aka Lyre Leaf Sage

Salvia lyrata is a perennial herb in the mint family. It also goes by lyreleaf sage and cancer weed. It grows wild across the central and eastern United States. It lives in open woods, clearings, and thickets. It also grows in lawns and along streambanks. Wild plants grow in moist ground and sandy soils. Garden plants reach 1–2 feet (0.3–0.61 metres) tall. They spread about 0.5–1 foot (0.15–0.3 metres) wide.

The plant forms a low rosette, or ring of leaves. Upright flower stems rise above this ring. Its green leaves have stalks and measure 3–8 inches long. Their edges may be wavy, toothed, or deeply lobed. The lobes can give each leaf a lyre-like shape. Some wild groups have red marks at the leaf centre. Leaves on the flower stems are smaller and fewer. The stems are square, hairy, and have few branches. The leaves have a scent and are deciduous: they fall off.

Flowers grow in spaced rings along the upright stems. Each flower has two lips and measures about one inch. Flowers may be lavender, pale blue, or violet. They may also be white or pale pink. The main bloom lasts from April to June. Bees and butterflies visit the open flowers for food. Later flowers stay closed but set fruit through self-pollination. Each fruit splits into four nutlets, or small dry fruits. Each nutlet holds one seed. American goldfinches eat the seeds. Native bees nest in dead stems.

Full sun gives the best growth. Plants also grow in partial shade. Use poor to average soil that drains well. Moist sandy or clay soil suits this plant. It also copes with rocky ground and wet soil. It can bear brief flooding too. Once established, plants withstand drought, heat, and humid weather. Missouri Botanical Garden lists USDA hardiness zones 5–8. Grow it in borders, cottage gardens, or native plant beds. It also suits meadows, woods, and rain gardens. Its low, dense growth can take mowing as a lawn substitute. Raise more plants from seeds or by dividing them.

This sage seeds itself with ease, most of all in loose sandy soil. It can spread through naturalized plantings and become weedy. Deer may eat flower stalks but leave the base leaves alone. Reports do not, as a rule, note major pest or disease problems. NC State also lists southern blight as a possible disease. Plants For A Future reports no known edible uses or hazards. That does not prove safety for pets or people. It records folk uses for coughs, colds, warts, and sores. These records show past folk use, not proof that treatments work.