Family: Lamiaceae

Creeping subshrub, growing about a foot or more tall, spreading at least 3’ wide. Cobalt blue to purple flowers sporadic in warm weather. Often grown more for its almost white, creeping foliage which hangs well from a planter or raised bed.

Full to part sun, moderate to regular water, hardy to at least 15°F.

As with most salvias, flowers service pollinators especially hummingbirds. Moth larval food plant for the Alfalfa Looper Moth (Autographa californica), Bilobed Looper Moth (Megalographa biloba), Wavy-Lined Emerald (Synchlora aerata), the geometrid Pherne subpunctata, and the plume moth Anstenoptilia marmarodactyla.

The genus name Salvia derives from salvēre (to feel healthy, to heal) referring to the medicinal nature of many plants in the genus. The species chionophylla means snow-leaf, probably in reference to the whitish foliage.

Native to xeric southwest facing slopes in a small area in the state of Coahuila, Mexico. 

Salvia chionophylla on iNaturalist

Photo by Raffi Kojian, Wikipedia