Salvia Species, Mexican Bush Sage
Salvia leucantha
Family: | Lamiaceae (lay-mee-AY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Salvia (SAL-vee-uh) (Info) |
Species: | leucantha (lew-KAN-thuh) (Info) |

Category:
Shrubs
Tropicals and Tender Perennials
Height:
36-48 in. (90-120 cm)
Spacing:
36-48 in. (90-120 cm)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Danger:
N/A
Bloom Color:
Medium Purple
White/Near White
Bloom Time:
Late Summer/Early Fall
Foliage:
Velvet/Fuzzy
Other details:
Soil pH requirements:
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline)
8.6 to 9.0 (strongly alkaline)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
From herbaceous stem cuttings
From woody stem cuttings
By simple layering
Seed Collecting:
Collect seedhead/pod when flowers fade; allow to dry
Foliage Color:
Bronze
Blue-Green
Bloom Characteristics:
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Water Requirements:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Where to Grow:
Grow outdoors year-round in hardiness zone
Can be grown as an annual
Suitable for growing in containers
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Huntsville, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Monroeville, Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Union Grove, Alabama
Vincent, Alabama
Green Valley, Arizona
Kingman, Arizona
Charleston, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Mountain View, Arkansas
Albany, California
Amesti, California
Arroyo Grande, California
Burbank, California
Canoga Park, California
Cazadero, California
China Lake Acres, California
Clayton, California
Corralitos, California
Elkhorn, California
Encinitas, California
Escondido, California
Fairfield, California
Fallbrook, California(5 reports)
Fresno, California
Interlaken, California
Knights Landing, California
Lemon Grove, California
Long Beach, California(2 reports)
Los Angeles, California
Manteca, California
Merced, California
Moreno Valley, California
Mountain View Acres, California
Northridge, California(2 reports)
Oakland, California
Oakley, California
Oildale, California
Ontario, California
Pajaro, California
Palm Springs, California
Pomona, California
Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Redwood City, California
Ridgecrest, California
Sacramento, California(2 reports)
San Anselmo, California
San Diego, California(2 reports)
San Francisco, California
San Pablo, California
San Rafael, California
Santa Ana, California
Spring Valley, California
Ventura, California
Villa Park, California
Vista, California(9 reports)
Watsonville, California
Yucca Valley, California
Apopka, Florida
Belleview, Florida
Brandon, Florida
Brooksville, Florida
Deland, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
Homestead, Florida(2 reports)
Inverness, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jupiter, Florida
Keystone Heights, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Largo, Florida
Lithia, Florida
Longwood, Florida
Melbourne, Florida
North Fort Myers, Florida
Pensacola, Florida(2 reports)
Pompano Beach, Florida
Quincy, Florida
Riverview, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Vero Beach, Florida
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Springs, Florida
Yulee, Florida
Ashburn, Georgia
Cordele, Georgia
Douglas, Georgia
Flowery Branch, Georgia
Nicholson, Georgia
Rincon, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Indianapolis, Indiana
Derby, Kansas
Shawnee Mission, Kansas
Hebron, Kentucky
Prospect, Kentucky
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Covington, Louisiana
Homer, Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana
Zachary, Louisiana
Florence, Mississippi
Petal, Mississippi
Raymond, Mississippi
Saint Louis, Missouri
Pahrump, Nevada
Rodeo, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico
Averill Park, New York
Deposit, New York
Southold, New York
Charlotte, North Carolina
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Holly Ridge, North Carolina
Kure Beach, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina(2 reports)
Winston Salem, North Carolina
Grove City, Ohio
Milan, Ohio
Brookings, Oregon
Harbor, Oregon
Charleston, South Carolina
Conway, South Carolina
Florence, South Carolina
Ladys Island, South Carolina
Manning, South Carolina
North Augusta, South Carolina
North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Okatie, South Carolina
Orangeburg, South Carolina
Sumter, South Carolina
Knoxville, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Alice, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Atlanta, Texas
Aubrey, Texas
Austin, Texas
Belton, Texas
Brady, Texas
Bulverde, Texas
Cleburne, Texas
College Station, Texas
Conroe, Texas
Copperas Cove, Texas
Dallas, Texas(2 reports)
Deer Park, Texas
Desoto, Texas
Devine, Texas
Elgin, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas(3 reports)
Georgetown, Texas
Houston, Texas(3 reports)
Humble, Texas
Irving, Texas(2 reports)
Kingsland, Texas
Liberty Hill, Texas
Mc Kinney, Texas
Port Lavaca, Texas
Portland, Texas
Rowlett, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Wells, Texas
Zapata, Texas
Doswell, Virginia
Dutton, Virginia
Gloucester, Virginia
Leesburg, Virginia
Manassas, Virginia
Smithfield, Virginia
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
---|---|
Positive | On Apr 5, 2021, Mary94949 from Novato, CA wrote: This frost-tender plant grows roots easily from tender shoots placed in water. Many people prune it back hard in late fall in my zone 9, and it grows back very fresh and bushy by late March. It blooms regularly for over 6 months (March - November) in coastal California. |
Positive | On Jun 1, 2019, Kai_Ote from Lemon Grove, San Diego, CA wrote: Does very well in the southwest. Drought tolerant but not xeric. We planted ours in strong sun (10+ hours daily) on a variable dripline, giving each bush 5 to 10 minutes of water twice a week, increasing the drip volume as they matured. Not especially fragrant, but attracts desirable wildlife for naturalistic landscaping: songbirds like the low cover they provide; hummingbirds, honeybees and butterflies will hit every single blossom for the nectar. Once established, they appreciate a good prune back in the late summer or fall after all the soft purple and white buds have dropped off. Trimmed to within three feet of the ground when dormant, a winter-watered Mexican Bush Sage will then bounce back in the spring with luscious new shoots that flower well into summer. (You can find some well te... read more |
Positive | On Nov 24, 2017, tranquilityva from Doswell, VA wrote: This plant is an annual for me in zone 6b-7 in central virginia. I live out in the rural area and it gets colder than z 7. I love this plant. From a stick almost in the spring to a 6' circle in fall it is a standout. I have trouble finding it in the spring as box stores call it a sage and get it with their herbs! I get the purple and white ones but just recently saw the solid purple. Nice but not as yummy as the purple and white. |
Positive | On Dec 28, 2016, AFinSD from San Diego, CA wrote: Even though my spouse and I did not have success growing this plant in our garden, I still love this plant because of the way it attracts hummingbirds (they're my favorite birds). |
Positive | On Nov 22, 2016, no_regrets from San Diego, CA wrote: Planted a handful of these in an area of our property that gets intense summertime sun and heat, with only overspray from lawn sprinklers to give relief from the drought conditions. I didn't pay too much attention until, toward the end of the season when everything else was starting to look rather tired and spent, this plant absolutely EXPLODED with intense purple blooms all over. And it just won't stop! It's Thanksgiving week and they look as fresh as they did months ago, like they're frozen in time. I'm waiting for them to stop blooming so I can cut them back... but it hasn't happened yet. Amazing! I only wish I had planted more of them in other parts of our yard. |
Positive | On Dec 10, 2012, arthurb3 from Raleigh, NC (Zone 7b) wrote: A beautifull plant. The flowers are fuzzy and I cannot resist touching them! |
Positive | On Apr 1, 2012, Sandwichkatexan from Copperas Cove, TX wrote: Grows huge every season. It dies back in the winter and rebounds nicely every year . Hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers like a magnet . |
Negative | On Nov 5, 2011, XemaSab from Redding, CA wrote: I've tried it three times, and every time it just hasn't survived the winter. I don't know if the cold is killing it or if it's rotting out in our wet winters, but I've given up on it. |
Positive | On Jul 8, 2011, 2QandLearn from Menifee, CA (Zone 9a) wrote: When I was growing up, my Mom put a berm in the backyard, & among the plants she covered it with, was one of these. It was shaded in the morning by a Pomegranate tree, but it grew & flowered wonderfully. Mom always pruned it in what I thought an unusual way: When the main flower spike on the end of a stem was done flowering, she removed the ENTIRE stem all the way back to the main stem. When this was done regularly & consistently, a new stem would quickly grow & start flowering, & the ones cut off were even more quickly replaced by others that were just waiting their turns! I later tried allowing all the flowers on each stem their turn to develop, thinking they might all become large spikes like the main ones on the stem ends . . . but they ever did, and the plant quickly became rangy ... read more |
Positive | On Nov 26, 2010, rntx22 from Puyallup, WA (Zone 8b) wrote: This is my absolute favorite salvia. Fuzzy flowers and leafs, and the pests leave it alone! I've had horrible mealy bug infestations in my garden on all my other salvias, but they don't touch this one. The hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and sphynx moths love it! It's been in bloom since spring and is still looking gorgeous in late November. |
Positive | On Oct 2, 2009, mswestover from Yulee, FL (Zone 9a) wrote: Gets woody at the base. I trim it in mid summer. It spreads and will take over a flower bed quickly. Blooms Oct-Nov zone 9a. Hummingbirds like it. |
Positive | On Sep 14, 2009, sillybug5 from Hyannis, MA (Zone 7a) wrote: A real knockout, graceful plant with furry looking amazing flowers, blooming at the end of the season. Hummers and butterflies are thrilled with it. Gorgeous!!! |
Positive | On Oct 8, 2007, Lily_love from Central, AL (Zone 7b) wrote: I've thise Salvia for several years now, its growth habit seems a bit of restraint. It's in full bloom this time of year. Although, classified as 7b. Sometimes, due to microclimate influences; many zone 8's plants proven to be adaptive here where I'm. |
Positive | On Feb 7, 2007, Marilynbeth from Hebron, KY wrote: Last year for the first time growing it (the purple/white one and the all purple one). I had plants of the all purple one growing in the ground and in a pot. I had the purple/white one growing in a pot. |
Positive | On Jun 4, 2006, Sheila965 from Rincon, GA (Zone 8a) wrote: This is a VERY hardy plant. After a year, it will spread by root. I had to dig it up and move it earlier in the spring, so I cut it way back. I was so scared I had lost it. It is now blooming beautifully! I even shared the new shoots with my mom. |
Positive | On Feb 9, 2006, Horseshoe from Efland, NC (Zone 7a) wrote: Wonderful, easy-to-grow salvia! Blooms late summer and will bloom past our first frosts/freezes! Adds great color for late in the year. A butterfly magnet also! |
Positive | On Apr 12, 2005, Tomatoholic from Austin, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: I love this plant. It is so interesting. It blooms my favorite color too. I have two of these...one if blooming and the other is not blooming at all. They are planted in the same area so they get the same sun/water/etc. Any suggestions out there how I can get the other one to bloom? I live in Austin, TX. These are new plants I got a few weeks ago from Red Barn Nursery. Thanks. |
Negative | On Aug 8, 2003, jkom51 from Oakland, CA (Zone 9b) wrote: This is a very tough, big ever-blooming salvia. In frost-free zones it is important to cut it back regularly, as it will continue to expand until it overruns all its neighbors. I have actually seen it start to break apart granite boulders. Tends to have a rather ungainly, somewhat wild appearance if allowed to grow without occasional pruning. |
Positive | On Jul 13, 2003, meek wrote: A really good landscape plant, likes an alkaline un- improved soil to slightly dry, plant can run by suckering along bottom edge so cut these out for new plants. Plant on 4-6 foot centers as they can eaisily be 3-5' round and tall. Cut back hard in fall to 1' in warmer (no frost) climates and it comes back like a true herb. Have seen hummingbirds feeding on this and have yet to see a major pest. |
Positive | On Jan 20, 2003, Lavanda from Mcallen, TX (Zone 8a) wrote: Even if you have only one of these in your garden, the hummers will come! |
Positive | On May 3, 2002, loisbeth wrote: 5-6' gray-green foliage on shrub-like plant produce 18" spikes of purple flowers with white tips. Must be kept dry in winter. Prune in mid-summer for better branching. Needs well drained soil. |