Sara Cabrol

My guess is you have a nice full sun spot that has decent warmth for 3-4 months, you will be able to grow it as an annual. Additionally, since it is significantly smaller that its tall cousin, you might be able to try overwintering it in a greenhouse or coldframe. It certainly can't be less successful than its cousin who won't flower until those short fall days! 😉

Data from https://www.calflora.org/entry/compare.html?crn=7302

Chia -  Salvia columbariae

NATURAL TOLERANCES:
Elevation 0 to 2530 meters
Precipitation 7 to 63 inches
Wet Season 0 to 8 months
Temp Range 25 to 68 ° F
December Low 22 ° F
July High 104 ° F
Accum. Temp 69 to 314 ° F
Growing Season 3 to 12 months
Hardiness Zones 7a to 10b

SOIL:
pH.           5 to 8.3
MAX Salinity 3 (very slightly saline)
MIN Depth 5 cm
Textures: Clay, Silty clay loam, Clay loam, Silt loam, Loam, Sandy loam, Loamy sand, Sand, Bedrock, Variable, Decomposed plant material
MAX CaCO3 4 % (low)
MIN AWS 0.4 cm

Surround the worm bin to insulate and keep them more active over winter; use for mulch and/or add to compost as needed after the last frost.

Commercial seed is salvia hispanica, which is short day flowering and so it won't flower until fall and will die before it matures to seed.

What you want to grow for seed is salvia columbariae, which is native to the southwestern United States and is a desert plant that is long day flowering. It grows with very little water, thrives on neglect as long as it's feet aren't wet, is much shorter in stature, doesn't produce as prolifically (which is why it isn't used commercially) and flowers in the spring and early summer- giving it time to mature seed before the frost. It is a viable food plant in the southwest because the plants are perennials above about Zone 8, and will form large wild stands which you can walk through and beat the seed heads into your basket, thus you can harvest without even damaging the plants and some of the seed will naturally fall to the ground to provide for the next generation.

You can find more information at the California Native plant society.

Have fun, and happy eating!
ForestGardenGal from California