Mexican Bush Sage
(Salvia leucantha)
Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha)
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keroyama
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keroyama
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CC BY 2.0
Copyright Notice:
Photo by: keroyama | License Type: CC BY 2.0 | License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ | Uploader: keroyama | Publisher: Flickr
Estimated Native Range
Summary
Salvia leucantha, commonly known as Mexican Bush Sage, is a herbaceous perennial native to a variety of habitats in Mexico, including pine-oak forests and other subtropical and tropical regions. It typically grows up to 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) high and 2 meters (6.6 feet) wide, featuring numerous erect stems that often arch at their tips. The plant is renowned for its striking inflorescences, which are velvety and usually blue or purple, emerging from colorful bracts that can range from white to purple. The flowers are highly attractive to pollinators and bloom from late summer to frost.
Mexican Bush Sage is valued for its ornamental appeal, particularly its showy flowers and the textural contrast provided by its velvety foliage. It has earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. Commonly used in borders, as a specimen plant, or in pollinator gardens, it requires full sun and moist but well-drained soils to thrive. While it is not frost hardy, it can be grown as an annual in cooler climates or overwintered indoors. It is a low-maintenance plant, but in some regions, it can become invasive, so gardeners should monitor its spread.CC BY-SA 4.0
Mexican Bush Sage is valued for its ornamental appeal, particularly its showy flowers and the textural contrast provided by its velvety foliage. It has earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. Commonly used in borders, as a specimen plant, or in pollinator gardens, it requires full sun and moist but well-drained soils to thrive. While it is not frost hardy, it can be grown as an annual in cooler climates or overwintered indoors. It is a low-maintenance plant, but in some regions, it can become invasive, so gardeners should monitor its spread.CC BY-SA 4.0
Plant Description
- Plant Type: Herb
- Height: 2-3 feet
- Width: 2-3 feet
- Growth Rate: Rapid
- Flower Color: Purple, White
- Flowering Season: Summer, Fall
- Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Growth Requirements
- Sun: Full Sun
- Water: Medium
- Drainage: Medium
Common Uses
Bee Garden, Bird Garden, Border Plant, Butterfly Garden, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Fragrant, Groundcover, Hummingbird Garden, Low Maintenance, Potted Plant, Rabbit Resistant, Rock Garden, Salt Tolerant, Showy Flowers, Street Planting
Natural Habitat
Pine-oak forests and other subtropical and tropical regions in central and eastern Mexico
Other Names
Common Names:
Scientific Names: , Salvia leucantha, Salvia bicolor, Salvia leucantha f. iobaphes,
GBIF Accepted Name: Salvia leucantha Cav.