With more than 6,000 species of California native plants, you would think that would be enough for a garden devoted exclusively to them.
Yet occasionally you come across a plant with a pedigree that matches that of the most revered California native and, on top of that, is absolutely spectacular when in bloom – so much so that you cannot resist sneaking it into your garden that is otherwise restricted to species indigenous to this state.
Texas sage is such a plant, and to see it in full bloom in November is to want it near your own front door, where it can be properly appreciated.
In truth, it has no botanical relationship to true sages (Salvia spp.) but is a member of the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). As such, it is related to the snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), a North African and Middle Eastern perennial plant that needs no supplemental water where it grows wild. This may explain why snapdragons are recommended for late fall planting since they are meant to develop a strong root system – thanks to the rains that begin to come this time of year – and then bloom in spring before fading from the scene in early summer, without ever having been irrigated.
Texas sage, in any case, like most California natives, benefits from some supplemental summer irrigation during its first couple of years in the garden, while not needing much, if any, water, after that. And beyond occasional watering, Texas sage, also known as Texas Ranger and purple sage, seems to be otherwise maintenance-free, even while developing into a virtually perfect sphere. Here, the testimonial of Richard Salmen, who gardens in the Hollywood Riviera neighborhood of Torrance, is instructive.
“I’m primarily a native plant aficionado – mostly manzanita, Ceanothus, sage, buckwheat, etc. However, I wanted to write about Texas sage since you have devoted a column or two to purple bloomers, and this one is about as low-maintenance as any plant could get.
“I planted it three or four years ago. It is now approximately four feet tall and five feet wide and very happy doing its own thing. It has never been pruned or fertilized, and I have never found a bug that likes it or any sign of disease. I watered it a couple days a week with a hose until it was established. Now I water it a little during the summer, but nothing drastic. Regarding that subject, I am getting away from irrigation systems, which I think are a royal pain and besides, there are so many wonderful plants – and this beauty is such an example – that don’t require these systems.”
After such a glowing review of Texas sage, you wonder why you rarely see it in people’s gardens. Well, it thrives on being ignored and suffers from too much love, especially in the form of irrigation, too much of which diminishes its bloom and may kill it outright. It is native to Mexico and southwest Texas and is Texas’s official state shrub. Its botanical name of Leucophyllum frutescens refers to its leaf color and growth habit. In Greek, “leukos” means white and “phyllon” means leaf, referencing its silvery foliage, while “frutescens” is Latin for shrub-like.
With such a vibrant purple display, you might think its flowers last for a while yet each of them endures for less than two days, replaced by fresh adjacent blossoms. Barometer bush is another one of its appellations due to observations that a sudden rise in humidity triggers Texas sage’s massive bloom, typically occurring just before or after rain. During an extended drought, Texas sage may drop up to 40% of its foliage, which happens in the case of many summer deciduous desert plants. It will still survive the most extreme summer heat due to trichomes or leaf hairs that provide insulation from the heat, as any moisture evaporating from leaf surfaces through transpiration (botanical sweating) becomes a thin cloud of cool air, trapped around leaf surfaces, preventing foliar desiccation. The silvery leaves also reflect up to 30% of sunlight that would otherwise be absorbed as heat; Texas sage can thus survive temperatures that consistently soar above 110 degrees.
The healthiest Texas sage I ever saw was a large specimen that, seemingly by a miracle, was blooming adjacent to a freeway entrance ramp near USC. It was six feet tall and blanketed with purple flowers despite exhaust belched upon it nonstop from passing vehicles.
Texas sage is especially attractive to solitary bees, of which there are 1,600 species in California. In the Chihuahuan Desert, its flowers stay fresh, making their nectar available to bees even as flowers of virtually every other plant wilt. It also attracts butterflies of many kinds, hinting at its familial ties to butterfly bushes (Buddleia spp.).
You do not want to grow this plant as a hedge since it needs good air circulation around it to prevent soil from retaining moisture that would lead to root rot. While its lifespan is typically 10-15 years, it can live for 40 if old stems are cut back to the ground every five years, rejuvenating the plant.
There are many Texas sage varieties, the tallest growing to eight feet, while more compact varieties may reach no more than three feet, and the flowers of some are pink. Propagate Texas sage by taking four-inch semi-hardwood cuttings, dipping them in root hormone, and inserting them in a 50% perlite, 50% peat moss mix.
California native of the week: Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) is so named due to its leaves’ slender, lanceolate, slightly curved form resembling that of a true willow’s foliage. Like the true willow, it also grows naturally along water courses, even if, in the desert willow’s case, they are arroyos that go dry in summer. Desert willow is extremely drought-tolerant and handles blistering direct sun as well as cold down to zero degrees. Desert willow’s trumpet flowers, which are mildly fragrant, attract hummingbirds and the tree serves as a nesting site for a variety of songbirds. The flower color is white, pink, lavender, purple, or burgundy, depending on the variety. Desert willow reaches a height of 30 feet with a spread of 25 feet. There is a parkway planting of desert willows on the east side of Hayvenhurst Avenue, south of Magnolia Boulevard in Encino.
Do you have a Texas sage or other drought-tolerant perennial tale to tell? If so, send it along to Joshua@perfectplants.com. Your questions and comments, as well as gardening successes and conundrums, are always welcome.