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Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) is an evergreen shrubby perennial prized for its dense, arching flower spikes. It blooms in late summer and early fall with showy cascades of velvety-purple flowers that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial pollinators. Mexican bush sage makes a great companion plant alongside other plants that prefer pollinators, such as coneflowers and stonecrop.
Mexican bush sage’s flower spikes are about 10 inches long and tower above their soft, green foliage with a slight silvery hue. Its gray-green leaves have a velvety texture and grow in pairs on square stems. The plant is soft and hairy to the touch. The most common variety produces bicolor flowers with white corollas and purple calyxes, although several varieties such as ‘Midnight,’ ‘Pink Velour,’ and ‘White Mischief,’ produce deep purple, pink and white flowers respectively.
Native to Central America and Mexico, Mexican bush sage is easy to care for. It requires little maintenance. It doesn’t self-seed, so it won’t spread into areas you don’t want it.
Although it returns every year in the southern states and along the Pacific coast, it is not winter hardy in areas with sub-freezing temperatures. In most parts of the U.S., it is grown as an annual. It is best planted in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. It typically grows two to three feet tall in one growing season. It tolerates heavy pruning during the growing season, but avoid it in late fall or winter. Keeping the dead shoots above the surface will insulate the plant’s roots.
Choose a sunny location and plant it in early spring. The soil should be fertile and well-drained, and you can work a 1-inch layer of aged manure into the soil to encourage its best growth. Be sure to space plants three feet apart, and spread a few inches of mulch to prevent weeds, conserve moisture, and keep roots cool.
Mexican bush sage can be propagated by cuttings, and overwintering can be done indoors or outdoors, depending on winter temperatures in your area. The plant can develop various pests and fungal diseases, although you generally won’t have any problems with this easy-care bush.
Mexican bush sage prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade as well. If your plant is in partial shade, it may not be as dense and lush as it would be in full sun.
Although Mexican bush sage is drought-resistant, it does need watering during hot summers. Water the shrub weekly during the first growing season to help it develop strong roots. You can water Mexican bush sage during droughts of more than two weeks without significant rainfall.
Mexican bush sage requires heavier soil than other plants and is not prone to rotting in heavy soil. You can work a three- to four-inch layer of organic compost into the soil with a tiller to improve drainage and provide additional nutrients.
Mexican bush sage is a warm-weather loving plant that blooms in late summer and early fall. It will only survive winters where temperatures do not drop below 18 degrees F.
You can fertilize Mexican bush sage with an all-purpose, balanced fertilizer each year before new growth appears in spring. Be sure to apply fertilizer at the rate recommended by the manufacturer. More fertilization is usually not necessary.
Salvia leucantha ‘Midnight’ has dark purple calyxes (bracts that surround the flower) and purple flowers on a plant that can grow up to 5 feet tall and wide.
Salvia leucantha ‘Pink Velour’ (also known as ‘Velour Pink’ and ‘Danielle’s Dream’) produces rose-pink tubular flowers with contrasting spikes of white calyxes. It grows three to four feet tall and wide.
Salvia leucantha ‘White Mischief’ bears fluffy white flowers on a large plant that grows up to four feet wide and eight feet tall when planted in fertile soil.
Plant Mexican bush sage with other species with similar care requirements. Consider planting with Mexican sunflowers, marigolds, lantana, chrysanthemums, and angel’s trumpets. Mexican bush sage makes an excellent addition to a pollinator garden. It pairs well with plants popular with bees and butterflies, such as coneflower, black-eyed Susan, and stonecrop.
You can prune Mexican bush sage two or three times during the spring and summer to encourage denser, more compact growth and more abundant blooms. Remove any dead, damaged, or scraggly stems. Remove spent flowers once they have finished blooming; this can encourage the plant to rebloom in the fall months.
In warmer climates, prune the plant to the ground during the winter to ensure it quickly regrows into a full and bushy plant. In colder zones, leave dead growth intact until spring. Dead growth insulates the plant during the wet, cold months.
Mexican bush sage can be propagated by cuttings taken in spring or summer. While you can propagate it from seed, propagation by cuttings is a productive use for excess branching. To propagate Mexican bush sage by stem cuttings:
Using clean, sharp garden shears, cut a piece of hardwood with four to five nodes.
Remove all but the topmost leaf.
Dip the end of the cutting in a rooting hormone.
Plant the cuttings in a pot of moist potting soil and place the pot in a warm and sunny location.
Water well, and after a few weeks, a root system and new foliage should develop.
When the plant is several inches tall, harden it off before planting it outdoors in late spring.
Mexican bush sage may freeze and suffer some stem dieback in the winter, but if pruned in February, new growth will emerge in the spring. You can overwinter the plant indoors in a pot with good drainage and adequate sunlight. Bring the plant indoors before the first frost of the year. However, you can also leave the plant outside if temperatures stay slightly above freezing during the winter.
Mexican bush sage is susceptible to several pests and diseases. Pest risks include whiteflies, aphids, and spider mites. However, these insects usually attack Mexican bush sage grown in the greenhouse. The plant may also develop diseases such as rust and leaf spot.
You can encourage healthy blooms on your Mexican bush sage by providing appropriate care during the early stages of growth and placing the plant in full sun. During bloom, the flowers are bright and fragrant, and the leaves are soft and hairy. Full bloom occurs in summer. You should remove spent flowers and provide adequate moisture during the blooming period to encourage full and healthy blooms.
The plant is generally easy to care for and hassle-free, but it is prone to problems common to all woody outdoor plants.
Leaves infected with rust can cause the leaves to drop. Rust is a fungal disease that thrives in soil that is too moist, so you should adjust your watering habits if you notice leaves falling off your Mexican Bush Sage.
Just like leaf loss, yellow leaves on your Mexican Bush Sage are often caused by overwatering or a fertilizer that is too high in nitrogen. You can address this problem preventively by mixing at least 20% sand or grit with compost into your soil. Check the soil to make sure it is dry enough or well-drained if you notice yellow leaves.