Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Chihuahuan Sage
Chihuahuan Sage is a Texas sage with small olive-green leaves and fragrant lavender flowers. It grows into a loose, open shrub about 4 to 5 feet tall and about 5 feet wide. Flowers come in waves from spring into fall, heaviest after summer rains. It handles full sun, reflected heat and cold to about 10°F.
Best for: informal hedges, background planting behind lower shrubs, beds and borders with a natural look, and hot yards where you want scent and bees.
Set plants about 4 feet apart for a hedge that fills in, or up to 6 feet apart for a looser row. Its open branching grows into a relaxed, natural hedge without shearing.
It works as a background shrub behind lower flowering plants and silver shrubs. The small olive-green leaves stay on all year, and it grows about 4 to 5 feet tall.
The lavender flowers are fragrant, and bees, butterflies and birds come to them. Waves of bloom run from spring into fall, strongest after summer rains.
In shade it grows thin and rangy. Wet or poorly drained soil can bring root rot. It also does not suit a tight, formal look, since shearing ruins its shape.
- Informal hedge4 ft apart, center to center
- Beds and borders4-6 ft apart, center to center
Water every few days at first, then stretch the time between soaks over the first two months. Water deeply and let the top of the soil dry before the next soak.
Once rooted, give it a deep soak about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and about once a month or less in winter. Beyond rain it needs little, except in long dry spells.
Its natural open shape needs little or no pruning. If you prune, cut select branches with hand pruners in late winter or early spring. Shearing cuts off flower buds and thins the plant.
An overgrown plant can take a hard renewal cut in early spring. Then leave it alone and let it grow back into its natural shape.
Too much water and poorly drained soil cause root rot, the most common way to lose one. Plant it where water drains away and water little in winter.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Chihuahuan Sage get?
Most reach about 4 to 5 feet tall and about 5 feet wide, and some grow to about 7 feet. Give each plant 4 to 6 feet of room so you never need to shear it.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant them about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. Use 4 feet for a hedge that fills in, and see the Spacing tab for both options.
How is Chihuahuan Sage different from other Texas sages?
Its leaves are small and olive-green, not silver, and its shape is looser and more open. The lavender flowers are fragrant, and it leans less on summer humidity to bloom. Pick it if you want green leaves and scent.
When does it bloom?
It blooms in waves from spring into fall, with the biggest show usually in late summer after the rains. A deep summer soak when the rains fail helps it keep flowering.
How often should I water Chihuahuan Sage?
Once rooted, it needs no winter water. In summer, give a deep soak about every 2 to 3 weeks, more often if the summer rains fail. Let the soil dry between soaks.
Why is my Chihuahuan Sage dying?
Too much water or poorly drained soil is the usual cause, since both can bring root rot. Cut back watering and make sure water drains away from the roots.
When and how should I prune it?
Give it one light shaping a year in early spring, then leave it alone. Do not shear it, since sheared plants grow lopsided and lose flowers.
Can it take reflected heat?
Yes. It takes full sun and reflected heat. Keep it out of shade, where it gets thin and rangy.
How cold can Chihuahuan Sage take?
It takes cold to about 10°F, like other Texas sages. Valley winters do not hurt it, so it needs no frost cover.
Does it attract bees and butterflies?
Yes. Bees, butterflies and birds visit the flowers, so leave it unsheared to keep the blooms coming.
Will deer or rabbits eat it?
Deer usually leave it alone, and Texas sages are not a favorite of rabbits either. It is a good choice where they browse other plants.
Can Chihuahuan Sage bother allergies?
Yes, it can. Its pollen can bother people with allergies.
Chihuahuan Sage for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Chihuahuan Sage (Leucophyllum laevigatum) is a Texas sage with green leaves instead of silver, a loose open shape and fragrant lavender flowers. It grows about 4 to 5 feet tall and about 5 feet wide. Below: size, spacing, water, pruning, sun, cold and how it compares with other Texas sages.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Chihuahuan Sage in Arizona
Chihuahuan Sage is a Texas sage from the high Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico. It has small olive-green leaves, a loose open shape and fragrant lavender flowers. It handles full sun, reflected heat and cold to about 10°F.
How big does Chihuahuan Sage get?
It usually reaches about 4 to 5 feet tall and about 5 feet wide, sometimes taller. It grows at a moderate to fast pace.
How far apart to plant Chihuahuan Sage
Plant it about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. Use 4 feet for an informal hedge that grows together.
Chihuahuan Sage vs regular Texas sage
Chihuahuan Sage has olive-green leaves instead of silver and a looser, more open shape. Its lavender flowers are fragrant. It leans less on summer humidity to bloom than most Texas sages.
When does Chihuahuan Sage bloom?
It blooms in waves from spring into fall. The heaviest flowering comes in late summer after the rains. Each wave brings bees and butterflies.
Watering Chihuahuan Sage in Phoenix
Once rooted, skip winter watering. In summer, water deeply now and then, more often if the rains do not come. Well-drained soil keeps the roots healthy.
Pruning Chihuahuan Sage
Give it one light shaping a year in early spring, then leave it alone. Shearing makes it grow lopsided and cuts off flowers.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.