Salvia leucophylla

Purple sage, Salvia leucophylla,  is a three to six foot evergreen shrub with flowers that are light purple in May-Jul.. Purple sage has leaves that are white tomentose(kinda fuzzy grey). This sage occurs on dry slopes where it is native from Santa Maria to Baja. Some of it companion plants are Encelia californica, Rhus integrifolia, Eriogonum cinereum, and Artemisia californica. Needs sun, no water after established (grows rank otherwise to eight feet). We have had no damage in containers at 8 degrees F. and slight damage in the ground at 0 deg.. One has been growing here for almost 30 years and it is still doing fine, looking good. There is a form of purple sage in the trade called Pt. Sal. Use the purple sage in heavy clays(but it does ok in sand), for wildlife(Quail love the seed), for a grey border of a desert garden(a little extra water in winter is all you'll need in Palmdale), in the back of a butterfly garden, or as part of a sage garden. A grey, gray, cloud with some pink, a dream for one who loves grey, or gray.

Click here for more about California Sages

Click to watch Checkerspot butterfly drinking from purple sage

Click to watch a Painted Lady butterfly drinking from purple sage Here's a native sage page where you can see all the Salvias of California.