Mexican Bush Sage - Salvia leucantha

In this episode, Jarratt Calvert, Operations Manager at Shades of Green Nursery + Landscape, discusses Mexican Bush Sage, a great perennial for North Texas.
Mexican Bush Sage - Salvia leucantha
• Herbaceous perennial - Zone 8-10
• Grows 3-4 feet tall & wide
• Plant in full sun
• Drought tolerant
• Purple blooms late spring until frost
• Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds
• Native to Mexico
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LINKS WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Texas Superstar® Plants
texassuperstar.com/plants/sag...
Texas SmartScape™
www.txsmartscape.com/plant-sea...
Plant SMART Frisco
www.plantsmartfrisco.org/mexi...
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Shades of Green Nursery + Landscaping
Web: shadesofgreeninc.com/
Social: @ShadesofGreenTX

[@lisapearson78]

I planted my Mexican Bush Sage back in the spring. (I’m zone 8b, Central Mississippi.) It’s grown tremendously since planted but not the first bloom yet. Plenty of hot sun. Any advice appreciated.

[@heartofdixieprepping4797]

I know this is an older video but I so need to know if I’ve goofed. I got the sage salvia in early spring. It didn’t have a bunch of blooms on it. I read spring was when it blooms so I’m thinking it was done with flowering. I trimmed or dead headed the few blooms that was on it. It’s gotten huge but no more blooms. Should I have cut it back in late spring??? Or not prune like I did, well didn’t prune. I see gardeners with beautiful blooms now. It’s early August. Is now a good time to cut back. It’s grown so tall and full. Thank you.

[@ShadesofGreenTX]

Mexican bush sage blooms heaviest in the summer and fall. It may start blooming in the spring, but tends to bloom more and more throughout the growing season. I've personally never cut mine back in the spring, as I want it to grow full size for the space I have it in. (It can get 3-5 feet tall, with 3-4 feet being the average.) I don't touch it all season. Instead, I leave it alone until late fall / early winter. By that time, it should be a bundle of dried, upright stems. I snap those off at the ground and that's the only "pruning" I do. It will send up new growth in the spring. -- Like you, I've discovered that pruning it spring can sometimes adversely affect the bloom. That's why I leave it alone. If yours is too big for your space, you might look for a dwarf variety like Santa Barbara, which grows 2-3 feet tall. -- If yours has grown tall and full, it's obviously healthy. Keep an eye out for buds. My guess is you'll have an explosion of blooms in September and October. A fertilizer for flowering plants might also help. If it's organic, use as directed. If it's synthetic, consider using at half strength. -- Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.

[@heartofdixieprepping4797]

@@ShadesofGreenTX oh good, maybe it will bloom. It’s two plus feet and in a big pot. I’m shocked at how much it’s grown this summer. It’s beautiful. I’ll be watching for blooms and definitely won’t touch until the proper time. Thanks so much for helping me. I have three different kinds and loving them. All the lavender I buy always dies. I discovered salvia and fell in love with it. My annual didn’t do well after we had so much rain. Everything thing else is good.

[@milanaw.6388]

Do you ever get the dwarf variety Santa Barbara?

[@ShadesofGreenTX]

Yes, we typically have it in stock in spring and summer.

[@vickiesorenson2383]

Santa Barbara variety is dwarf and smaller .

[@erikarodriguez8209]

Can you propogate mexican sage? & how.

[@ShadesofGreenTX]

By dividing the plant or by cuttings. See: savvygardening.com/mexican-bush-sage/