Velvet Sage Salvia leucantha
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- SAL-vee-ah lew-KAN-thuh
- Description
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Velvet sage, also called Mexican bush sage is a perennial in the Lamiaceae family. It is a relative garden newcomer but is seen today gracing the late summer garden across the state. It is only hardy from the lower Piedmont to the coastal plain, and extreme winters may kill it. The flower stalks bear persistent flower bases which are velvety and purplish and short-lived flowers.
The specific epithet 'leucantha' comes from the Latin words 'leucos' meaning "white" and 'anthos' meaning flower.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Pinehurst Greenway Pollinator Habitat Garden, Moore County
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- All Purple
Flowers are all purple (not bicolor) - Danielle's Dream
Pink and white flowered - Midnight
may be synonym for 'All Purple' - Santa Barbara
Compact form with purple calyces and rose-lavender petals
- All Purple
- All Purple, Danielle's Dream, Midnight, Santa Barbara
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- All Purple
Flowers are all purple (not bicolor) - Danielle's Dream
Pink and white flowered - Midnight
may be synonym for 'All Purple' - Santa Barbara
Compact form with purple calyces and rose-lavender petals
- All Purple
- All Purple, Danielle's Dream, Midnight, Santa Barbara
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Salvia
- Species:
- leucantha
- Family:
- Lamiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Mexico and Central America
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. This plant is resistant to damage by deer.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- damage by deer
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Dense
- Spreading
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10b, 10a
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Funnel
- Flower Description:
- Bicolor flowers with white corollas and purple calyces. The white does not appear until late summer into fall.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Velvety
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Linear
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Linear, lance-shaped, gray-green leaves (to 4” long) have a soft, velvet-like feel.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Square
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Heat
- Rabbits
