Texas sage is a low maintenance, perennial, evergreen, desert shrub in the figwort family and native to Texas and Mexico. It is a seasonal bloomer with a compact, loosely branched form typically reaching 6 to 12 feet in height at maturity, with an equal spread. The showy, bright pink to purple flowers blossom in batches throughout the summer and fall, each batch lasting several days. The blossom episodes seem to occur whenever a change in humidity detects the oncoming presence of rainfall. The leaves are covered with silvery hairs, giving the plant the common name Silveleaf. This shrub prefers full sun and tolerates conservative watering and low humidity. It has excellent tolerance for drought and heat, but humidity and high night temperatures can be a problem. This plant is moderately salt tolerant. Do not fertilize plants. Once established, plants require minimal maintenance. Texas sage works well as a hedge, foundation planting or in a container on a patio. It can be pruned to shape, keeping in mind that the flowers bloom on new wood. It propagates by seed or cuttings. There are many cultivars of this plant available and the species, in general, is a popular, water conserving, ornamental in the Southwest United States. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Avoid over watering or poorly-drained soils that can lead to cotton root rot. In areas of high rainfall, consider the use of raised beds.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Obovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Silvery gray to greenish leaves, soft, up to 1 1/4 inches long but mostly 1 inch or less, tapering to the base with smooth margins. Covered with star-shaped, silvery hairs.
Flower color
Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Bell; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small (up to 1 inch) pink and lavender flowers bloom singly for short periods of time from the leaf axils from summer into fall. Bilaterally symmetrical flowers usually appear after rainfall.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Southwest Texas and Mexico
Distribution
Introduced into the Dominican Republic and Salvador.