Salvia is an important medicinal plant and its yield and quality are affected by weed infestation. However, there is no registered herbicide for its selective weed control. So , thi research was conducted to evaluate the tolerance of Salvia virgata and S. nemorosa to a number of photosynthetic inhibitor herbicides (bentazone, phenmedipham+desmedipham and metribuzin) and inhibitors of the protex enzyme (oxidiargyl and oxyfluorfen). Two separated pot experiments were performed in factorial experiment based on completely randomize design with three replications. The first experiment consisted of 16 treatments including one control treatment (0), and five types of mentioned herbicides at three different concentrations (0.75X, X and 1.25X where X was equal the recommended dose of herbicides). The second experiment contained 11 treatments including a control treatment (0) and two herbicides (oxidiargyl and phenmedipham+desmedipham) in five different concentrations (0.50X, 0.75X, X, 1.25X and 1.5X). Traits including herbicide phytotoxicity, the relative leaf water content (RWC), SPAD value, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, chlorophyll fluorescence index, malondialdehyde content (MDA), membrane stability index (MSI), antioxidant enzyme activitties such as catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and guiacol peroxidase (GPX)), plant height, shoot and root dry weights and essential oil content were determined. All of the herbicides increased MDA levels (especially in recommended and increased concentrations), antioxidant enzymes activity, and essential oil content (especially at concentrations of 0.75X, X, 1.25X). SPAD value and quantum efficacy of PSII (Fv / Fm) were reduced under the treatment of PSII inhibitory herbicides, but the protex enzyme inhibitor herbicides did not affect SPAD value and Fv / Fm significantly. Most of the herbicides, for example oxidiargyl, oxyfluorfen, phenmedipham+desmedipham and bentazone, had no negative effect on RWC. Whereas metribuzin herbicide significantly reduced RWC at all levels. oxidiargyl and phenmedipham+desmedipham resulted in decreased chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations, membrane stability (at the highest concentration (1.5x)), plant height, shoot and root dry weight. The sensitivity of S. nemorosa to the all herbicides was higher and no complete recovery was seen in this species, while S. virgata was able to recover the damage caused by the herbicides of oxidiargyl, oxyfluorfen, phenmedipham+desmedipham and bentazon and there were no difference in the shoot dry weight of Salvia virgata between control treatment and herbicide treatments (except metribuzin) at maturity stage. It may be concluded that S. virgata is relatively tolerant to the herbicide, while S. nemorosa is relatively sensitive. Keywords: Herbicide, S. nemorosa , S. virgata , oxidative stress, herbicide, antioxidant, essential oil