Salvia leucantha
Mexican Bush Sage
Family: Lamiaceae
Herbaceous perennial plant usually reaching about 3-4’ tall and spreading about 6’. Usually the plants have white flowers that emerge from fuzzy, purple flower bracts during warm weather. Some selections have solid purple flowers with purple bracts.
Plant in full sun, provide moderate to regular, good drainage, hardy to about 15°F. Cut back individual stems as they are finished blooming (new stems always emerging from below). Mexican bush sage freezes back at 20° F. A severe pruning to the ground in early spring will remove any frost damaged foliage and encourage fresh growth.
Hummingbirds love the flowers. This is a larval host for many moth species. v
This plant has interesting chemistry and is used in traditional medicine in Mexico.
There are 1045 species of Salvia all over the world. The name Salvia comes from the Latin name used by Pliny for the plant and comes from the Latin word 'salvere' meaning "to save" in reference to the long-believed healing properties of several sage species. The Latin specific epithet leucantha means ‘white-flowered’ referring to the more typical white flowered plants.
This sage is reported to inhabit a wide area in tropical and subtropical pine forests in central and eastern Mexico.
Typical form of a mature plant. This is the solid purple variety. Photo by barkrangerwalter, iNaturalist
Closeup of the flower showing the fuzzy purple bracts and the more typical white flowers protruding from them. Photo by Floyd E. Hayes, iNaturalist
A closeup of the solid purple flowers and bracts. Photo by Graciela Rogado, iNaturalist