Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Texas Sage
Texas Sage is the silver-leaved desert shrub that covers itself in pink to purple flowers after summer rains and humid spells. It stays evergreen, takes full sun and reflected heat, and gets by on very little water once rooted. Left to its natural rounded shape it usually reaches 5 to 8 feet tall. Bees work the flowers every time it blooms.
Best for: hot beds by walls, drives and walks, informal hedges and low screens, foundation and mass plantings, and low-water yards where bees are welcome.
It takes full sun and the reflected heat off walls and paving. Silver leaves stay on all year, so the bed looks finished in every season.
Planted in a row it grows into an informal hedge or low screen. Leave it unsheared and it keeps a soft rounded shape and flowers heavily.
Once rooted it gets by on rain plus a deep soak every 2 to 3 weeks in summer. A mass planting turns pink to purple after a summer storm.
Soggy or poorly drained soil can bring root rot, and too much water is the usual way people lose one. In shade it gets leggy, and frequent shearing cuts off the flowers.
- Compact varieties4-6 ft apart, center to center
- Larger varieties8-12 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. Never keep the soil wet.
Its natural rounded 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.
When does Texas Sage bloom?
Mostly summer into fall, and it can bloom several times in one season. Each flush tends to follow rain or a humid spell. Bees work the flowers each time.
Why is my Texas Sage not blooming?
The two usual causes are shade and shearing. In shade it gets leggy and flowers less. Shearing it into a ball or box cuts off the new growth that carries the buds.
How big does Texas Sage get?
Usually 5 to 8 feet tall and about as wide. Left alone for years it can reach about 10 feet. Compact varieties stay closer to 4 or 5 feet.
How far apart should I plant Texas Sage?
It depends on the variety. Compact kinds are planted about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. Larger kinds need 8 to 12 feet. The Spacing tab will count plants for your row.
How often should I water Texas Sage?
While it roots in, water deeply and let the soil dry before the next soak. Once rooted, a deep soak every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and about monthly in winter is plenty.
Can you overwater Texas Sage?
Yes. Too much water is the most common way people lose one. Soggy or poorly drained soil can bring root rot, so plant it where water drains away.
Should I shear Texas Sage into a ball?
It is better not to. Shearing cuts off flower buds and thins the inside of the plant. Over time a sheared shrub gets woody, uses more water and lives a shorter life.
When and how should I prune Texas Sage?
Its natural rounded shape needs little or no pruning. If you shape it, use hand pruners on select branches in late winter or early spring. An overgrown plant can take a hard renewal cut then.
Can Texas Sage take reflected heat?
Yes. It takes full sun and the reflected heat off walls, drives and walks. Plant it in full sun for the best flowers.
How cold can Texas Sage take?
It handles cold down to about 10°F. In winter, water little and keep the soil on the dry side.
Do deer and rabbits eat Texas Sage?
They usually leave it alone. The leaves are aromatic, and deer and rabbits tend to pass it by.
Can Texas Sage bother allergies?
Yes, it can. Its pollen can bother people with allergies.
Texas Sage for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens), also called Texas ranger, cenizo and barometer bush, is an evergreen shrub from the Chihuahuan Desert. Its silver leaves stay all year, and it flowers in flushes after summer rain. This page covers size, spacing, water, sun, cold, pruning and which Texas sage to pick for a Valley yard.
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.
Why Texas Sage blooms after the monsoon
Texas Sage flowers in flushes after summer rain and humid weather, which is where the name barometer bush comes from. It can bloom several times from summer into fall. Each flush covers the silver leaves in pink to purple.
How big does Texas Sage get in Arizona?
Most Texas Sage reaches 5 to 8 feet tall and about as wide. Left alone for years it can reach about 10 feet. Compact varieties stay near 4 to 5 feet.
How far apart do you plant Texas Sage?
Spacing depends on the variety. Compact kinds go about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center, and larger kinds 8 to 12 feet. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
How often to water Texas Sage in Phoenix
Water deeply while it roots in and let the soil dry between soaks. Once rooted, a deep soak every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and about monthly in winter is plenty. Overwatering is the fastest way to kill it.
Stop shearing Texas Sage into balls
Shearing cuts off the new growth that carries the flower buds. It also thins the inside of the shrub, so it turns woody and uses more water. Leave the natural shape and thin select branches with hand pruners instead.
When to prune Texas Sage
Prune in late winter or early spring, before the new growth that will flower. Most plants need little or no pruning. An overgrown shrub can take a hard renewal cut at that time.
Texas Sage in reflected heat and full sun
Texas Sage takes full sun and the reflected heat off walls, drives and walks. In shade it gets leggy and flowers less. It handles winter cold to about 10°F.
Which Texas Sage should I pick?
Texas Sage Compacta stays about 5 feet with pink flowers. White Cloud has white flowers on silver leaves. Silver Cloud is smaller, about 3 to 5 feet, with tiny silver leaves and deep purple 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.