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Mexican Bush Sage

Mexican Bush Sage

Salvia leucantha

Mexican Bush Sage is a hardy perennial perfect for Austin weather, producing vibrant blooms late into the growing season. It will continue giving your property pops of color long after other flowering plants stop, ensuring your Austin landscaping looks beautiful throughout the year.

The Mexican Bush Sage is a stunning addition to any property in Austin. This evergreen plant produces lance-shaped leaves, resulting in a dense bush that always maintains its color. The leaves have a velvet-like texture and take on a gray-green hue with a subtle silvery tint.

Arched flower spikes erupt from the bush as it matures. The spikes grow to lengths of approximately 10 inches. In the late spring, purple and white flowers bloom to produce an eye-catching plumage of color. 

Mexican Bush Sage Details

  • Common Names : Mexican Sage, Velvet Sage
  • Plant Type : Perennial in Austin, annual in colder parts of the U.S.
  • Plant Family : Lamiaceae
  • Color : Evergreen silver-green leaves, purple and white flowers
  • Required Lighting : Full sun, tolerant to partial shade
  • Average Height : 4 to 6 feet tall and wide
  • Watering Requirements : Average, drought-tolerant
  • Soil Preferences : Moist but well-draining
  • Pruning : One annual prune after the first frost
  • Fertilization : All-purpose balanced fertilizer in early spring before new shoots emerge
  • Best For : Flower beds, borders and containers
  • Benefits : Drought-resistant, deer-resistant, pollinator

This perennial plant is hardy enough to withstand tough Texas summers, making it a popular choice for Austin landscaping. It’s drought-tolerant and doesn’t have strict water demands. Mexican Bush Sage benefits from weekly waterings during its initial year as it develops strong roots. But once established, it’s a low-maintenance plant. The plant gets all the water it needs during natural rainfall. It only needs attention during droughts that last longer than two weeks. In those cases, supplemental hydration will allow the plant to continue thriving.

The bush’s pruning needs depend on your needs. It can benefit from two or three pruning throughout the growing season to promote density. Otherwise, Mexican Bush Sage only needs one annual pruning to the ground once the first frost of winter hits.