Wikimedia Commons
Lamiaceae
Mexican Bush Sage
Salvia leucantha
Velvet beauty, autumn drama, Mexican spirit.
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Genus
- Salvia
- Native to
- Mexico, Central America
- Bloom season
- Fall
- Type
- Tender perennial
- Height
- 90–150 cm (3–5 ft)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 8–11
- Lifespan
- Tender perennial
Did you know
- The flower spikes are covered in soft purple velvet calyxes from which small white flowers emerge—the entire spike feels like felt or chenille and lasts for weeks even after the petals drop.
- Mexican bush sage is the king of fall gardens in California and Texas—a single mature plant can produce 100+ purple-and-white wands, attracting hummingbirds in mobs.
- Like all salvias, it's deer-proof, drought-tolerant, and pest-resistant—the entire plant is aromatic and unpalatable to browsing mammals.
- The 'leucantha' species name means 'white-flowered'—but in the most popular cultivar 'Midnight,' both the calyx AND the flower are deep purple, creating a solid grape-jelly bloom spike.
- Mexican bush sage is so important in Mexican fall gardens that it appears on Day of the Dead altars in many regions, planted alongside marigolds as a host for visiting souls.
Color meanings
0
velvet beauty
1
autumn drama
2
Mexican spirit