About Salvia leucophylla Greene
Salvia leucophylla Greene is an evergreen shrub that reaches 1 to 1.5 metres (3 1/2 to 5 feet) in both height and width. In spring, its leaves are light green, and they turn grayish-white as they mature. It produces graceful arching branches that reach the ground, and these branches sometimes root when they come into contact with soil. Its flowers grow in tight whorls arranged along inflorescences that are 15 to 20 centimetres (6 to 8 inches) long, and the flowering stem is pinkish-purple. The individual flowers measure 2.5 cm (1 inch) across, are pinkish-purple, and are held in a purple-tinged gray calyx. This species is native to the southern coastal mountain ranges of California and Baja California, where it most often grows on dry hillsides in gravelly soils. It is widely cultivated for use in California gardens and xeriscape gardening, and it prefers growing conditions with full sun and good drainage. Many cultivars, natural hybrids, and wild hybrids exist between this species and other Salvia species, which has made consistent clear naming of related forms very confusing. Known cultivars include Salvia leucophylla 'Pt. Sal', Salvia leucophylla 'Figueroa', and Salvia leucophylla 'Bee's Bliss'. Salvia leucophylla has documented allelopathic properties; it is thought that monoterpenoids released by the plant are responsible for inhibiting the growth of neighboring seedlings.
