I am just curious about rooting salvia with just water. Can it be soft material, or does it have to be hard in order to sprout roots?

I generally have the best luck with cuttings with firm, green stems . The soft, green, new growth near the tips tends to rot too fast, and woody cuttings struggle to form roots. Some species may differ, though.

Whether you can root your Salvia in just water depends a lot on the species. I've rooted and kept Salvia oxyphora in a cup of water for over a year. However, Salvia greggii cuttings usually start rotting after about 3 days in water.

Right now i cut two flower bracts on a salvia splendens and on a pink what i beleive is a guarantica. Both have been placed in water. Both these plants seem to mostly have soft fleshy stems. Anyone know a better way to root these?