Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
White Cloud Sage
White Cloud is the white-flowered Texas sage, with silvery leaves all year and flushes of white blooms through summer and fall. It usually grows 4 to 6 feet tall and wide, sized for an informal hedge or a bed along a wall. Once rooted it gets by on very little water in full sun and reflected heat. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies visit the flowers.
Best for: informal hedges, beds along a hot wall, mass plantings, a white-flowered Texas sage where most bloom pink or purple, and gardens for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.
Plant it 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center, for an informal hedge. Leave the natural shape and it covers itself in white flowers.
It looks good planted against a wall and takes the reflected heat there. Silver leaves stay on all year, so the bed never looks bare.
Most Texas sages bloom pink or purple. White Cloud gives white flowers on the same tough, low-water shrub, with hummingbirds, bees and butterflies visiting.
In shade it gets leggy and flowers less. Heavy pruning or shearing cuts the bloom, and soggy ground that never drains can bring root rot.
- Hedge or mass planting3 ft apart, center to center
- Border along a wall4 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.
What color are White Cloud flowers?
The flowers are white, sometimes with a pale lavender tint, on silvery leaves. It blooms in flushes through summer and fall, mostly after rain and humid spells.
How big does White Cloud get?
It usually grows 4 to 6 feet tall and about as wide at a moderate pace, and with plenty of room it can pass 6 feet. Give it that much space so you never need to shear it.
How far apart should I plant White Cloud?
Plant them about 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center, for a hedge or mass planting. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
How is White Cloud different from other Texas sages?
The flowers are white instead of pink or purple. It has the same silvery leaves, heat tolerance and low water needs. It also handles clay and heavier soil better than most.
Does White Cloud attract hummingbirds?
Yes, hummingbirds, bees and butterflies visit the flowers. Leave it unsheared so it keeps its flower buds.
How often should I water White Cloud?
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.
How should I prune White Cloud?
Prune it lightly, because heavy pruning cuts the bloom. Skip the hedge trimmers and take off stray branches with hand pruners or loppers in late winter or early spring.
Can I shear White Cloud into a ball?
It is better not to. Shearing cuts off the flower buds and thins the inside of the plant. Over time sheared shrubs turn woody and use more water.
Can White Cloud take reflected heat?
Yes. It takes full sun and reflected heat, including a spot against a wall. In shade it gets leggy and flowers less.
How cold can White Cloud take?
White Cloud handles cold down to about 10°F, like other Texas sages. In winter, water little and keep the soil on the dry side.
Can you overwater White Cloud?
Yes. Too much water is the usual way people lose a Texas sage. Soggy ground that never drains can bring root rot.
Can White Cloud bother allergies?
It can. Its pollen can bother people with allergies, so plant it away from windows and seating if that is a concern.
White Cloud Sage for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
White Cloud (Leucophyllum frutescens 'White Cloud') is a Texas sage with white flowers instead of the usual pink or purple. It keeps silvery leaves all year and blooms in flushes through summer and fall. Below are the questions people ask most, from size, spacing and water to soil, pruning 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.
White Cloud Texas sage in Arizona
White Cloud is a Texas sage with white flowers on silvery leaves. It blooms in flushes through summer and fall and stays leafy all year. Once rooted it gets by on very little water.
How big does White Cloud Texas sage get?
White Cloud usually reaches 4 to 6 feet tall and about as wide. Given plenty of room it can pass 6 feet.
How far apart to plant White Cloud
For a hedge or mass planting, space White Cloud about 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
White Cloud vs purple Texas sage
White Cloud has white flowers where most Texas sages bloom pink or purple. The leaves, size and care are much the same. White Cloud also handles clay and heavier soil better than most.
How to prune White Cloud without losing flowers
Go light, because heavy pruning and shearing cut the bloom. Use hand pruners or loppers on stray branches in late winter or early spring, and skip the hedge trimmers.
Watering White Cloud in Phoenix
Water deeply while it roots in, then 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.
White Cloud for hummingbirds and bees
The white flowers draw hummingbirds, bees and butterflies each time it blooms. Flushes come through summer and fall, mostly after rain and humid spells.
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.