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3232 Las Pilitas Rd
Santa Margarita, CA 93453
Fri. & Sat. from 9am-4pm
8331 Nelson Way
Escondido, CA 92026
Tues. to Sat. from 9am-4pm

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Salvia dorrii

Identification

Salvia dorrii, Desert Sage and Purple Sage.
Salvia dorrii, Dorr's sage, Mint sage, Purple sage, Desert Purple Sage flowers. This plant is native to the  California desert edges. - grid24_3
Salvia dorrii, Dorr's sage, Mint sage, Purple sage, Desert Purple Sage flowers.
Two Painted Lady Butterflies and one Sphinx moth on Salvia dorrii, Desert Sage  - grid24_3
Two Painted Lady Butterflies and one Sphinx moth on Salvia dorrii, Desert Sage
What a pleasant surprise to find amongst the Joshua trees. Salvia dorrii with Yucca brevifolia in the Mojave desert  - grid24_3
What a pleasant surprise to find amongst the Joshua trees., Salvia dorrii with Yucca brevifolia in the Mojave desert
Salvia dorrii, purple desert sage with a sea of butterflies. To bad the Joshua Trees will not support a hammock.  - grid24_3
Salvia dorrii, purple desert sage with a sea of butterflies. To bad the Joshua Trees will not support a hammock.
Four Painted Lady butterflies on Salvia dorrii, Desert Sage  - grid24_3
Four Painted Lady butterflies on Salvia dorrii, Desert Sage
Salvia dorrii, Desert sage, with Yucca brevifolia along the edge of the  Mojave desert. - grid24_3
Salvia dorrii, Desert sage, with Yucca brevifolia along the edge of the Mojave desert.
Three Painted Lady Butterflies and one Sphinx moth on Salvia dorrii, Desert Sage - grid24_3
Three Painted Lady Butterflies and one Sphinx moth on Salvia dorrii, Desert Sage
Salvia Dorrii, Purple Desert sage in the interface between Joshua tree and Pinyon Juniper woodland  - grid24_3
Salvia Dorrii, Purple Desert sage in the interface between Joshua tree and Pinyon Juniper woodland
Salvia dorrii, Desert sage or Purple Sage flowers. - grid24_3
Salvia dorrii, Desert sage or Purple Sage flowers.
Purple Desert sage commonly grows along the edges of the desert. Big Berry Manzanita, Happlopappus linearis, Single Leaf Pinyon, Stipa speciosa - grid24_3
Purple Desert sage commonly grows along the edges of the desert. Big Berry Manzanita, Happlopappus linearis, Single Leaf Pinyon, Stipa speciosa

Description

Salvia dorrii, Desert Sage, Purple Sage, or Desert Purple Sage is a beautiful shrub, sub-shrub that grows to 2-3ft. with gray foliage and deep, deep blue flowers and purple bracts. Desert Sage needs perfect drainage (native on sand, volcanic rock to decomposed granite) and no water after established. Salvia dorrii is the sage of riders of the purple sage and is native to much of the western deserts. I have seen them in the wild above Bishop in a rainfall area of about 10 inches that got to -10 in December 1990, but it also occurs further south in more reasonable spots overlooking the desert. Common associated plants are Yucca brevifolia, Stanleya species, Juniper species, Haplopappus linearifolius, Cotton Thorn (Tetradymia spp.), Atriplex canescens, Pinus monophylla, Artemisia tridentata and Eriogonum polifolium. A beautiful plant that works well in most desert gardens, and pseudo-desert gardens. Purple Sage is also a butterfly magnet.
Do not stick on drip irrigation in adobe and expect it to live. In most of coastal California these sage needs to be on a little mound of sand or gravel to be happy unless you are lucky enough to have a gravel soil. So if you're setting up a desert garden in Malibu, put down about a foot (or two) of plaster sand or good fill sand over the largest area you can, away from any oaks, pines or other trees and call it a 'desert', (Some extra gravel and perlite with a few boulders wouldn't hurt.). Purple desert sage mixed with the desert mallows, a Creosote and a few boulders and you have a show stopping 'desert'.
This little video starts out in a spot in summer,(the plants have no flowers), then moves to different location is May with flowers and butterflies. First part has speech, second has wind noise. Well maybe both do.
Great in a dry desert garden with fast drying soils. Extended soil temperatures below 20 F. do in a number of desert/mountain species. BUT, Salvia dorrii is hardy to most of the populated lower elevation areas of California.
Here's a native sage page where you can see all the Salvias of California.

Available at our Online store.

Contact: pan@laspilitas.com
Container Size Quantity In Production Quantity For Purchase Unit-Price
One Gallon 33 0 $ 14.99

Available at our Santa Margarita store.

Contact: bawilson@laspilitas.com
Hours: Open Saturday only from 9am to 4pm
Address: 3232 Las Pilitas Rd. Santa Margarita, CA 93453
Container Size Quantity In Production Quantity For Purchase Unit-Price
One Gallon 21 12 $ 14.99

Available at our Escondido store.

Contact: escondido@laspilitas.com
Hours: Open Tuesday through Saturday from 9am to 4pm
Address: 8331 Nelson Way Escondido, CA 92026
Container Size Quantity In Production Quantity For Purchase Unit-Price
One Gallon 0 0 $ 14.99
Five Gallon 0 0 $ 120.00
Fifteen Gallon 0 0 $ 80.00

Characteristics

Salvia dorrii Desert Sage tolerates sand.
Salvia dorrii Desert Sage is great for a bird garden and a butterfly garden.
Salvia dorrii Desert Sage's foliage color is gray, type is evergreen and has fragrance.
Salvia dorrii Desert Sage's flower color is blue and has a fragrance.

Communities

Communities for Salvia dorrii Desert Sage:Joshua Tree Woodland, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland and Sagebrush Scrub.

Ranges for Salvia dorrii

ph: 6.00 to 7.80
usda: 6 to 10
height[m]: 0.50 to 1.00
width[m]: 0.50 to 1.00
rainfall[cm]: 24.00 to 75.00

What does all this mean!?!

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