Common Name: Mexican Bush Sage
Latin Name: Salvia leucantha
Brand: —
- Mature Height: 4–6 ft (can reach ~6 ft+ in long seasons)
- Mature Width: 4–6 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full sun (tolerates part sun)
- Cold Hardiness Zone: USDA Zones 7b–10b (most reliable 8–10)
- Habit: Upright, shrubby perennial with arching, flowering wands
- Foliage: Linear/lance-shaped, gray-green, velvety (soft “felted”) leaves
- Flower: Bicolor purple calyces with white corollas on long, velvety spikes; late summer to frost; excellent for cutting
- Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral (~6.0–7.0)
Description:
A late-season showstopper, Mexican Bush Sage sends up plush, purple-and-white flower spikes from August to frost, just when many gardens fade. The soft, silvery foliage and velvety blooms glow in fall light and draw hummingbirds and butterflies by the dozen. Heat-loving and drought-tolerant once established, it thrives in hot, sunny borders and makes superb fresh or dried stems.
Care Tips:
Plant in well-drained soil with full sun for best flowering. Water regularly to establish, then moderately; avoid winter-wet sites. In Zone 7b, establish early and do not cut back until spring; keep soils on the dry side in winter. In colder zones, grow as a seasonal accent or overwinter container plants indoors. Mulch to buffer temperature swings but keep crown slightly exposed for drainage.
Landscape Uses:
Back-of-border accent, pollinator gardens, Mediterranean and xeric designs, mass plantings for fall color, cut-flower patches, large containers (seasonal in cooler climates)