Water the cutting right away when you finish planting and keep the soil moist as it grows. . A 2-inch-thick layer of mulch over the roots. Move the plant indoors before the first frost of the year. According to North Carolina State University, Mexican sage blooms abundantly in summer and fall, filling gardens throughout U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7b to 10a with masses of velvety, bright purple flowers. Generally speaking, Mexican sage is a low-maintenance plant that doesnt require much from you. If the winter temperatures don't dip below 18F and you live in a warm climate, your Mexican sage will return year after year. A mistake we made was waiting too many years before pruning our Cleveland sage and its gotten too leggy, and pruned older stalks never resprout. Tulum, Mexico. Mexico's dry season spans December to April. Salvias can be pruned twice a year once in the late fall or early winter and once in the early spring. On Jul 8, 2011, 2QandLearn from Menifee, CA (Zone 9a) wrote: When I was growing up, my Mom put a berm in the backyard, & among the plants she covered it with, was one of these. . Mom always pruned it in what I thought an unusual way: When the main flower spike on the end of a stem was done flowering, she removed the ENTIRE stem all the way back to the main stem. If the winter temperatures dont dip below 18F and you live in a warm climate, your Mexican sage will return year after year. Hard pruning can be done at the end of the season after all blooming has ceased. Debra LaGattuta is a gardening expert with three decades of experience in perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. The cuts heal slowly and are susceptible to apricot dieback fungus. Just remove old flower stalks. Grouping pots together in a sunny, protected area is a good idea, but you also can string old-fashioned outdoor Christmas lights around them to provide some extra warmth on the coldest nights. Any suggestions out there how I can get the other one to bloom? She is a Master Gardener and lead gardener in a Plant-A-Row, which is a program that offers thousands of pounds of organically-grown vegetables to local food banks. Home and Garden | Hummingbirds like it. Fruit trees are fast growing. Generally speaking, Mexican sage is one bush youll plant for ornamental purposes, and you dont want to confuse it with culinary sage that you use for seasoning. In warmer climates, the University of Florida IFAS Extension recommends cutting back the plant as soon as it dies back with the frost in autumn. http://southcoastbotanicgarden.org/. Pick a good location before you do anything. You also want to be careful that you dont plant it in a space that is too dim or has too much shade as this will cause the plant to grow leggy, sickly-looking, and thin as it leans toward any light source. Water it every six weeks very sparingly. However, it can survive in partial shade too. relatively simple. Dont leave stubs. Cuts into old growth likely wont resprout. The most pleasant . Fill 4-inch pots with a mixture of ordinary potting mix and sand or vermiculite. early spring is often the best time. However, you can leave the plant outdoors if the winter weather stays slightly above freezing temperatures. I live in Austin, TX. Everything youve wanted to ask about growing tomatoes Leaves are long and pointed, with a . Not especially fragrant, but attracts desirable wildlife for naturalistic landscaping: songbirds like the low cover they provide; hummingbirds, honeybees and butterflies will hit every single blossom for the nectar. Ive covered a few more on my website, but for others, check OBriens book. It gets between two and three feet high at full maturity. On Aug 8, 2003, jkom51 from Oakland, CA (Zone 9b) wrote: This is a very tough, big ever-blooming salvia. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Purple Velvet is one cultivar that deer tend to avoid, but its very attractive to pollinators. Watering Mexican Sage. You may hear it called All Purple or Purple Velvet, and its a very quick-growing plant that has foliage with fuzzy hair coverage. Love them both! And so, in the summer edition of the Theodore Payne Foundations Poppy Print newsletter, she nudges native gardening converts to do it. Flower colors range from white to purple to red to the darkest of blues. So, if you have winters that fall outside of these zones, you should put it in a container so you can move inside when the temperature drops. Prune in summer to early fall, mid-July through September. More nurseries, including our local Cherry Valley Nursery, are now carrying them. This plant is most easily pruned back to the size you want it to be in early to mid-falland then someto give it room to grow back. You can encourage a healthy bloom on your Mexican bush sage with appropriate care in the early stages of growth and siting the plant in full sun. Instead, its popular to use this cultivar to make natural fertilizers or insecticides. . Pruning Mexican Sage. . . The dead growth insulates the plant during the wet, chilly months. Plantings can be made throughout the growing season; however, Regardless, flower gardeners will be rewarded with vibrant Continue to water it once a week for the first few months so it develops healthy, strong roots. With thanks to Lili for the push, I am going to echo the prompt in this column in the hope that others may learn to work out their frustrations on their gardens in such a timely fashion. For sages with very tiny leaves, like autumn sage (S. greggii and cvs., Zones 69), for instance, it would not be worth the trouble to search out the perfect leaf cluster to cut back to. Few garden perennials are as carefree as Mexican sage bush. See About archive blog posts. I trim it in mid summer. Is San Ramon parakeet seeking a divorce from her 7-year partner? Delightful harbinger of Spring! but they ever did, and the plant quickly became rangy read more& unpleasant to behold (by comparison). Also, cut any dead portions of the plant back to the base. It blooms my favorite color too. Often you will have a choice among buds along each stem, so the decision as to how much to cut back will be discretionary. It makes a nice addition to your butterfly garden, herb garden, or pollinator garden. Watching the flush of flowers drying on the branch through July and. Clemson Cooperative Extension recommends waiting until spring to cut back the dead growth because it can act as insulation during the winter months if left in place, which is important in very cold climates where it stays chill and wet for many months. The plant loves fertile soil, and you may need to add. A few popular ones include: This is a pink-flowering cultivar of Mexican sage, and it can be more tricky to find on the market. Pruning tends to spur new growth,. If youre curious how to grow this plant and have it flower late in the season, read on. . Keep in mind that this plant does best in zones 8b to 11. I live in the San Francisco mid-peninsula foothills and most of the plants are on a deck that has significant wind exposure in winter. This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. During the winter, you want to keep the soil dry. My preference is to coppice it (cut it back to the ground level), as it will go winter dormant anyway, and then you will be left with mostly twigs for a while. Salvias (sages): Prune in late fall or early winter, before or as new growth begins. Once established, they appreciate a good prune back in the late summer or fall after all the soft purple and white buds have dropped off. Fuzzy flowers and leafs, and the pests leave it alone! I was so scared I had lost it. Remove damaged parts before the start of spring. HISTORY; Lore: . We planted ours in strong sun (10+ hours daily) on a variable dripline, giving each bush 5 to 10 minutes of water twice a week, increasing the drip volume as they matured. Try Santa Barbara Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha "Santa Barbara") for a 3-foot version of the native shrub; the cultivar thrives in USDA zones 9 though 11. Wildlife benefits from the dried flowers left on the plants, so I advocate leaving the flowers on for a while longer before pruning them back. Use this form to submit questions. Autumn sage or Texas sage Salvia greggii. You want to dig your spot ahead of time so you can insert the plant directly into the ground when you remove it from the container. It's Thanksgiving week and they look as fresh as they did months ago, like they're frozen in time. Gardeners can begin the process of growing Mexican bush sage in a wide variety of ways. I very much enjoy the process of cutting this plant back. Some may be affiliate links, meaning we earn commissions on purchases. To encourage faster growth at the height of summer, Logee's recommends feeding with 1/4 teaspoon of water-soluble 15-15-15 or 7-9-5 fertilizer diluted in 1 gallon of water or 1/2 teaspoon of fertilizer in 1 gallon of water. It blooms in late summer and early fall with showy cascades of velvety purple flowers good for attractingbutterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial pollinators. If pruned to the ground, it will even bounce back. Trimmed to within three feet of the ground when dormant, a winter-watered Mexican Bush Sage will then bounce back in the spring with luscious new shoots that flower well into summer. Once the plant gets black from frost, you can pull it up and put it in the compost pile. Twilight of the gas station as Rancho Cucamonga looks to alternative fuels, Human skeletal remains found by hiker in Running Springs, Cold, drizzly week ahead for Southern California, Driver in Redlands fatal train crash stopped late, then moved onto tracks, police say, Redlands Unifieds handling of sexual abuse cases under review by California justice department, Californias regulatory labyrinth makes it hard for Californians to get things done, Electric vehicle boom could turn Salton Sea into Americas Lithium Valley, Kimberly Crest House & Gardens plans Secret Garden-themed childrens tea, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Routinely clean and sanitize your pruning shears, especially if you've used them on diseased plants. We are in the coldest days of the year, so its important to protect your plants, especially frost-tender ones. . I notice everyone says alkaline soil but mine is quite acid, some areas 5.0. Care and upkeep are minimal when the plants are grown in a sunny bed with fast-draining soil, although they do benefit from regular watering in hot, dry climates. If it seems late, it isn't. Only the most ferociously organized gardeners dead-head sage as soon as the flowers fade in June. The most common variety produces bi-color blooms with white corollas and purple calyces, although several varieties like 'Midnight,' 'Pink Velour,' and 'White Mischief' yield deep purple, pink, and white blooms, respectively. By contrast, if it is looking leggy and ragged, Mexican sage can be and should be cut almost to the ground leaving 6 inches to a foot or so of stalk and some flowers to placate the angry hummingbirds (take those off after the cut branches recover). In regions where Mexican sage can survive the winter, you can plant it at any time as long as you avoid the hottest months of the year. There are well over 900 species, of which California native sages comprise only about 2%. Otherwise, no pruning is required. If located in partial sun, your plant might not be as dense and lush as in full sun. What plants are similar to Mexican bush sages? ): Pinch young, actively growing plants to shape a dense branching structure, necessary to support the flower stocks. You wont need to prune it back until the late winter or early spring months. Sign up for our newsletter. Beyond planting, Mexican bush sage requires little care. Wet soil in the winter months can kill your Mexican sage. Propagating your Mexican sage is a very easy process that wont take a huge amount of effort or time. I get the purple and white ones but just recently saw the solid purple. Water well, and after a few weeks, a root system and new foliage should develop. Young trees can benefit from pruning to establish good branching. Mexican sage is an ornamental, perennial sage that many people choose to grow as an annual during the summer months in northern planting zones. Sign up for a free trial and get access to ALL our regional content, plus the rest Full bloom occurs in the summer. Drought tolerant but not xeric. I recently asked a plant-grower in my area if he still carried this plant, but he had discontinued it because everyone had complained that it was coming up from seed like crazy, all over their gardens . Remove all but the top two leaves from each cutting. Dear Gov. Though Mexican bush sages are drought-tolerant, they require watering during hot summers. Sugar bush (Rhus ovata) are beautiful large shrubs. On Feb 20, 2011, annlof from Camarillo, CA wrote: This is an attractive, xeric shrub which is very popular in Southern California. Wait until the plant is done flowering before pruning. This drought-resistant plant works well on hot, dry slopes and natural rocky outcroppings. Using heavy-duty frost cloth will also protect your plants from high winds, but youll need to anchor the cloth securely or you could be giving your neighbors a pricey gift. On Apr 12, 2005, Tomatoholic from Austin, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: I love this plant. Building temporary structures over the plants will allow you to safely drape the plants with whatever cover you choose. Yet by late August, those fluttering elegies to spring just look dead, and its as obvious to the most laissez faire gardener as it is to the fire marshal that it is time to prune. Old, dark inflorescences should go. The leaves of this plant are used by some Native American tribes in spiritual ceremonies, which accounts for one of its lesser-known common namessacred sage. Engelmann oaks (Quercus engelmannii) need little to no pruning. Hardy to USDA zones 7b to 10, bush sage can also be grown as an annual in regions outside of its hardiness range. Must be kept dry in winter. Unlike other sage plants, it is not used for culinary purposes. However, if you live in one of the plant's suggested hardiness zones, cut it back in winter, and mulch around the roots in the fall, it should grow again in the spring. I have two of theseone if blooming and the other is not blooming at all. Unlike Fountain Grass, the plant is very hardy and can be cut back to a height of 6 inches as soon as it starts to look messy in the late Fall or Winter. . I have actually seen it start to break apart granite boulders. Dull, pitted blades are also more likely to harbor pathogens, so keeping them honed or replacing them often with fresh shears is vital in keeping your plants disease-free. I use a lot of compost which is beginning, after 5 years of this new garden, to turn more neutral but no where near alkaline. Rust is a fungal disease that thrives in overly wet soil, so you should adjust your watering practices if you notice leaves falling off your Mexican bush sage. It is a repeat bloomer all summer long and into the fall. Prune in mid-summer for better branching. It can handle heavy pruning during the growing season but hold off on pruning in late fall or winter. With. Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri): OBrien says if growing vigorously after a year, prune hard, cutting back all the old stems to stubs only 3 to 4 inches from the ground. Our maintenance needs often contradict the needs of nature, and so there is often a delicate dance going on in the garden of what to do for whose benefit. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Minimize the. Count on summers to be hot and humid. To keep California white sage (S. apiana, Zones 710) from becoming too leggy, prune it back to the most robust new buds in early to mid-fall. If you cut off all the flower stalks, and water, monkey flowers will rebloom in the summer. Tends to have a rather ungainly, somewhat wild appearance if allowed to grow without occasional pruning. How to Grow Red Creeping Thyme Gardeners can begin the process of growing Mexican bush sage in a wide variety of ways. As long as you get the growth conditions right, you should have no trouble getting plenty of blooms at the end of summer. From a stick almost in the spring to a 6' circle in fall it is a standout. You should apply it before the new shoots emerge in the spring, and you should apply it at the recommended rate the manufacturer suggests. Mexican bush sage is an excellent addition to a pollinator garden. If you live in a cold or cool climate, planting Mexican sage too early in the season can lead to delayed growth due to frost damage or cold soil. The 'White Mischief' Mexican bush sage is similar to the purple Mexican bush sage, but it's better for flower cuttings and bears white flowers rather than purple. Collect seedhead/pod when flowers fade; allow to dry, This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds, Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater, Grow outdoors year-round in hardiness zone. The plant can develop various infestations and fungal diseases, although you generally won't have problems with this low-maintenance bush. On colder nights, I cover them with old sheets, but havent been pleased with the results, mildew and such. The University of Minnesota Extension recommends cleaning your pruning tools to remove any bits of plant debris and soil before sanitizing the blades. Salvia greggii and its brittle-limbed ilk, whose spring clouds of fragrant foliage and flowers now look like a mass of kindling, benefit from two passes with the pruners. Learning how and when to plant Mexican bush sage is . A 2-inch-thick layer of mulch over the roots will help the soil stay moist, which will reduce the need for watering. 28 Edible Vines for Your Large or Small Garden, Three to five feet wide by four feet tall. If it's January in the Valley and you've got a Salvia leucantha planted in your yard, there's a good chance it looks very much like this one. Sure, my fingers get a little sticky, but the fragrance is one of my all-time favorites in the garden. Martha Groves Perry returns to Rose Garden for another release show Get the latest how-to and design inspiration articles plus special offers sent straight to your inbox. Fertilizing more than that is typically unnecessary. In frost-free zones it is important to cut it back regularly, as it will continue to expand until it overruns all its neighbors. Once the flowers are removed, think of it as a woody shrub rather than an herb. You can fertilize your Mexican sage using a 12-12-12 general purpose fertilizer mix each year. These are new plants I got a few weeks ago from Red Barn Nursery. Be sure to wear gloves read more, Thought I saw a grasshopper on one of my milkweeds, read more, I have several pair of Dark-Eyed Juncos this winter. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? Where helpful to the reader, some posts may contain links to products. Jennifer Lesser is a New Jersey-based freelance writer covering lifestyle for The Spruce. Mexican sage, or Salvia leucantha, is a popu. Also, with the fragrant, bright, and showy flowers and spreading growth habit, Mexican sage is stunning in mass plantings. The flowers are a slightly deeper purple color. However, you do want to keep the watering schedule on point. If you prune later, you may remove developing flowers. Blooms late summer and will bloom past our first frosts/freezes! IF they had pruned it like my mother always did, that could never have happened, and, their plants would have looked 100% more beautiful, too! Provide 1 inch of water each week during the summer months or whenever the soil feels dry beneath the surface. Focus on altering the length of the stems not the number of the stems overall. . So, you can use it to add color to a fall garden. Be sure to space the plants three feet apart, and spread a few inches ofmulchto help prevent weeds, retain moisture, and keep roots cool. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Join us at 10 a.m. Jan. 21 for the next installment in our gardening series. You can get a seedling trap or pot ready by filling it with this type of soil. Here is a link to their website for anyone who is interested: As Lili notes, birds move in and glean the seeds. Two flamboyant Mediterranean sages often seen in California are Jerusalem and Canary Island sage. On Nov 26, 2010, rntx22 from Puyallup, WA (Zone 8b) wrote: This is my absolute favorite salvia. Free. Fertilize lightly in early spring. Instead, prune lightly for structure in summer. Whether you order your tulip bulbs as, A 3-part lecture series in partnership with Garden Masterclass, Growing herbs from seed is an incredibly rewarding and inexpensive way to savor homegrown flavor fresh from your garden. If it is damaged by coldl winter, it will grow back, good as new. In fact, pruning during the active growing season can delay flowering and prevent you from seeing any flowers before the frost comes and kills it off. I had plants of the all purple one growing in the ground and in a pot. In warmer climates, shear the plant to the ground in the winter to ensure it grows back quickly into a full-sized and bushy plant. To overwinter your Mexican sage and turn it into a houseplant, you should dig them up before the first frost arrives and put them into a larger container with plenty of drainage holes. If you live in a cold region, it is possible to overwinter Mexican sage, and well touch on that later. Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. It will only survive your winters in northern climates where the temperatures dont dip below 18F, so most people treat it like an annual that only survives for one season in everywhere but the warmest regions. Simply cut all the old shoots off at ground level. The third option is to pot up your Mexican sage and move it to the shed or garage as long as it stays just above freezing during the winter. Toyon (Hetermomeles arbutifolia): Young trees should be pinched to develop a fuller appearance if desired, or leave as is for a tree shape. As a more compact cultivar, this one tops out at three feet high. I didn't pay too much attention until, toward the end of the season when everything else was starting to look rather tired and spent, this plant absolutely EXPLODED with intense purple blooms all over. As for the calceolaria (ladys slipper) and calendrinia (rock purslane), neither plant requires pruning, although you should snip or pluck off spent blooms (deadhead) to encourage new flowers. I'm waiting for them to stop blooming so I can cut them back but it hasn't happened yet. To propagate it using cuttings, you should: Get pruning shears and cut a piece of your mature Mexican sage that has a minimum of four to five nodes or leaf stems on it. Monkey flower (Mimulus spp. This free webinar takes the guesswork out of prep work for your spring garden. perennial plantings that will thrive all season long. On Dec 10, 2012, arthurb3 from Raleigh, NC (Zone 7b) wrote: A beautifull plant. Other deciduous native trees such as desert willow, white alder, Chitalpa, California walnut, cottonwood, Mexican elderberry, willow: Prune in winter during dormancy. You can wait until as late as early June to plant them when you buy them from your local garden center or use cuttings you overwintered. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? This will promote fuller growth the following spring and keep the plant looking tidy over winter. These zones include Florida, Texas, Arizona, Texas, and Alabama. Before pruning, the University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management strongly advises that you disinfect your pruning shears. Its gray-green leaves have a velvet-like texture and grow in pairs on square stems. In late summer, prune the new growth on the branches back again by . Like many other salvias, Mexican bush sage does well in waterwise and xeriscape plantings. It blooms regularly for over 6 months (March - November) in coastal California. With Mexican sage, you dont need to worry a lot when it comes to pests and diseases. The Mexican bush sage can freeze and experience some stem dieback in winter, but when cut back in February, new growth will emerge in spring. This article was last updated on 04/08/21 Zones: 6-9 Height/Spread: 2 to 3 feet tall & wide Bloom Time: June to October Bloom Color: Varieties in red, pink, orange, purple, or white Exposure: Full sun Water: Regular, drought tolerant Soil: Well-drained, average. If you live in a colder climate and want to grow it as an annual, you wont have to prune anything. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! At this point, you can transplant it into a pot or straight into the garden. Completely prune off the spent stems to avoid a tangled mess the next spring and to control pests over winter. It doesnt hurt to let plants share space in a path with youquite the contrary! It blooms regularly for over 6 months (March - November) in coastal California. These salvias grow best when pruned to within six inches of the ground after flowering. I don't know if the cold is killing it or if it's rotting out in our wet winters, but I've given up on it. There are many cultivars of this sage ranging from double purple 'Midnight' to lush pink and creamy white. Only the most ferociously organized gardeners dead-head sage as soon as the flowers fade in June. It seems severe but you can cut back to 1- to 2-inch stubs. You can shear the Mexican bush sage two or three times during the spring and summer to promote denser, more compact growth and abundant blooms.