Purple sage

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light shade but flowers less and grows more loosely.

Water

Low once established. Water young plants deeply, then let the soil dry between waterings; established plants usually need little or no summer irrigation in Mediterranean climates.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gravelly or loamy soil, including alkaline soils. Avoid heavy, waterlogged ground and rich, moisture-retentive planting mixes.

Height

3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m)

Spread

5-8 ft (1.5-2.4 m)

Flowers

Spring to early summer; pale lavender-pink to purple flowers in spaced whorls along upright stems.

Foliage

Fragrant, softly hairy, gray-green to silvery leaves. Usually evergreen in mild climates, but may shed many leaves during prolonged summer drought or cold.

Growth

Moderate to fast in suitable conditions.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.2 ft (0.68 m)

3. After 2 years

   2.8 ft (0.85 m)

4. After 3 years

   3 ft (1 m)

5. After 5 years

   4 ft (1.2 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant with the root crown at soil level and leave room for its broad spread.
• Water deeply during establishment, allowing the soil to dry between soakings.
• Avoid frequent summer watering once established, especially in heavy soil.
• Do not routinely fertilize; rich feeding encourages weak, sprawling growth.
• Use a thin gravel mulch if needed, keeping it clear of the woody crown.

Pruning. After flowering, shorten spent flower stems and lightly trim leafy shoots to maintain a broad, compact shape. Avoid cutting hard into old, bare wood, which may not reshoot.

Autumn

Plant in mild, dry-summer climates so roots establish during cooler weather.

Winter

Check drainage and keep fallen leaves or damp mulch away from the crown.

Spring

Plant in colder areas after severe frost has passed; water new plants deeply.

Late spring

Enjoy flowering and avoid shearing while bees are using the blooms.

Summer

Trim lightly after flowering; leave some seed heads if wanted for wildlife.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, nonflowering shoots.

• Mass on a sunny, well-drained slope for broad silver foliage and seasonal flower colour.
• Combine with California buckwheat and other dryland shrubs in a California-native border.
• Use behind low succulents or gravel-garden perennials, allowing space for its arching branches.
• Place near a path where its scent can be enjoyed, without letting mature growth obstruct access.

Garden styles it suits: California native, Mediterranean, Desert / xeriscape, Dry gravel garden, Pollinator garden and Coastal.

Plant it with: California buckwheat, California sagebrush, Deer grass, California poppy, Rockrose and Lavender.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinating insects; hummingbirds visit in its native region. Seed-eating birds may use the seed heads.

• Root and crown rot in wet soil: improve drainage, reduce irrigation and keep mulch away from the crown.
• Leggy or floppy growth in shade or rich soil: provide full sun, stop feeding and trim lightly after flowering.
• Cold damage in exposed sites: choose a sheltered position and remove dead shoots once new growth shows what has survived.
• Leaf drop during summer drought: some shedding is normal; check soil moisture before assuming the plant needs more water.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, although species-specific safety information is limited. No part is established as poisonous; this is an ornamental sage, not a substitute for culinary sage.

• Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii)

  Usually has darker gray-green, more wrinkled leaves and deeper violet-blue flowers; purple sage has paler, more woolly foliage and generally pinker flowers.

• White sage (Salvia apiana)

  Has larger, conspicuously whitish leaves and tall, open, branching sprays of mostly white flowers rather than compact tiers of lavender-pink blooms.

• Purple-leaved culinary sage (Salvia officinalis 'Purpurascens')

  A smaller culinary plant with purple-tinted young leaves; Salvia leucophylla has silvery foliage, a much broader shrubby habit and is not the usual cooking sage.

The species name leucophylla means 'white-leaved', referring to its pale, hairy foliage, while purple sage refers to the flowers.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer and root them in a sharply drained medium. Seed can also be sown, but seedlings may vary and can hybridize where other compatible sages grow nearby.

Accepted botanical name

Salvia leucophylla

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states.

Native range

California and Mexico Northwest.

Measured

Average height 150 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.