A newly identified plant named Salvia messii honours Lionel Messi, with delicate blue and white flowers resembling Argentina’s national football colours. The discovery connects football’s global influence with Peru’s remarkable biodiversity, giving the Argentine superstar another unusual tribute beyond sporting achievements.
Scientists identified Salvia messii growing across rocky slopes in Peru’s central and southern Andes, between 2,000 and 2,400 metres above sea level. Researchers selected the name because the plant’s pale blue and white petals evoke Argentina’s iconic national team jersey, famously worn by Messi.
The newly described species belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which also includes familiar aromatic plants such as mint, basil, rosemary and common sage. Unlike a delicate garden flower, Salvia messii grows as a sturdy aromatic shrub that can reach approximately 1.5 metres in height.
Its flowers feature a white tubular section and a pale blue upper lip, while bright fuchsia bracts add another striking colour. The formal scientific description followed field explorations conducted between 2023 and 2025, alongside laboratory examinations and comparisons with preserved botanical specimens.
Botanists Paúl Gonzáles, Rolando Uría and Jean Capcha-Ramos contributed to the research, which established the plant’s distinct characteristics and scientific classification.
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