Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Upright Blue Ranger
Upright Blue Ranger is a Texas sage with silver, cupped leaves and blue to purple flowers. Blue ranger shrubs grow about 3 to 6 feet tall, with a rounded shape that works as an accent or informal hedge. The flowers come in waves in summer and fall, often right around the rains. It takes full sun and reflected heat on very little water.
Best for: accent plantings, informal hedges, foundation beds, and hot spots with reflected heat where bees can find it.
The small leaves are silver and cup inward, which sets it apart from other Texas sages. It works as an accent or in a foundation bed.
Planted in a row, blue ranger makes an informal hedge. Let each plant keep its natural shape instead of shearing it flat.
It takes full sun and reflected heat once rooted. Blue to purple flowers show up in summer and fall, and bees visit them.
It needs full sun and does poorly in shade. Overwatering and poor drainage can rot the roots. Shearing ruins the shape and cuts off flowers.
- Plant to plant4-6 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 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.
How big does blue ranger get?
Blue ranger shrubs grow about 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. It grows at a moderate pace.
What makes blue ranger different from other Texas sages?
The biggest difference is the leaves, which are small, silver and cupped inward. The flowers also lean blue to purple instead of pink or lavender.
When does it bloom?
It blooms in waves during summer and fall, often right around a rain. Leave it unsheared so the new growth can carry flowers.
How often should I water it?
Once it is rooted, it needs no winter water except in a long dry spell. In summer, give it a deep soak regularly but not often, and let the soil dry between.
Why is my blue ranger dying?
Overwatering or poor drainage is the usual cause. Heavy clay soil can also bring root rot. Water less often and make sure water drains away.
What soil does it need?
It needs soil that drains well. It takes sandy, loamy, clay and rocky soils, including alkaline ground, as long as water does not sit around the roots.
How do I prune blue ranger?
Head it back lightly in late winter, and do not shear it. It can be kept around 3 feet with light pruning.
Can it take reflected heat?
Yes. It takes full sun and reflected heat. It needs full sun and does poorly in shade.
How cold can blue ranger take?
Blue ranger handles cold down to about 10°F. In winter, skip watering unless there is a long dry spell.
Does it attract bees?
Yes, bees visit the flowers each time it blooms through summer and fall.
Will deer eat it?
Deer usually leave it alone, so it is a good pick for yards where deer browse other shrubs.
Upright Blue Ranger for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Upright Blue Ranger (Leucophyllum zygophyllum) is a Texas sage with silver, cupped leaves and blue to purple flowers. Blue ranger shrubs grow about 3 to 6 feet tall. Below: size, flowers, water, drainage, 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.
Blue ranger Texas sage in Arizona
Blue ranger is a Texas sage from the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico. It has small silver, cupped leaves and blue to purple flowers. It takes full sun, reflected heat and cold to about 10°F.
How big does blue ranger get?
Blue ranger shrubs grow about 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide at a moderate pace. Light pruning in late winter can keep one around 3 feet.
Blue ranger vs other Texas sages
Blue ranger stands out for its cupped silver leaves and flowers that lean blue. It blooms in waves in summer and fall, often right around the rains.
Watering blue ranger in Phoenix
Once rooted, skip winter watering unless it is very dry. In summer, give a deep soak regularly but not often. Too much water and poor drainage are the usual problems.
Pruning blue ranger
Head it back lightly in late winter and never shear it. Let it keep its natural rounded shape.
Best spot for blue ranger
Pick full sun with soil that drains, and do not worry about reflected heat off walls or paving. Keep it out of shade and out of low spots where water collects.
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.