purple sage
Purple sage is a highly-aromatic shrub, native to coastal scrub and chaparral from the Big Sur to San Diego. This delightful and dependable salvia boasts lavender-pink floral whorls arranged along spike-like stems. In summer, the spent flower stalks retain attractive showy bracts, good for seasonal interest and seeds for birds. The foliage has a mounding habit with soft-green-to-silvery leaves. This species generally reaches 3-5 ft tall and at least as wide, but some popular cultivars range from more upright to a 2-foot spreading groundcover. Easy to grow in full sun with occasional-to-infrequent water. A great choice for a sunny bank. Deer resistant.