Plant Description:
Mexican Bush Sage is a perennial in the salvia group of flowering shrubs. It has an average height of 36 to 48 inches with the recommended spacing of 36 to 48 inches. It has a native range of Mexico and Central America. It requires full sun or nearly full sun with reasonably rich, moist, fertile soil. Once established, it is drought-tolerant, disease-resistant, and strongly attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. The blooms are medium purple with elements of white near white which appear in the late summer and early fall. The foliage is velvety and fuzzy. A dwarf variety ‘Santa Barbara’ grows to 24-28 inches in height. The “Santa Barbara” variety is useful for smaller yards and as accent plants however it is less likely to survive severe cold.

Propagation & Planting:
The plants should be placed in full sun or nearly full sun in soil that has been amended to include an adequate organic material. The spacing of the standard variety of Mexican Bush stage plants should be 36 inches to 48 inches. The Santa Barbara variety may be placed at 24-inch intervals. The general soil requirements include a pH range of 7.6 to as high as 9.0. Propagation of the plan has been reported from herbaceous stem cuttings, woody stem cuttings and by simple layering. Seed collecting is from seedpods and seed heads after the flowers have faded. The seedpods should be allowed to dry before storage.

Plant Care:
Mexican Bush Sage has an average water requirement with periodic watering necessary after planting. Water regularly, but do not overwater. The plant may show signs of stress and extreme heat in the late summer. Supplemental watering would then be appropriate. Heavy mulching in the late fall may allow selected plants to overwinter with growth arising from the root system.

Fertilize:
Monthly fertilization during the late spring and early summer growing season with a balanced fertilizer is recommended. The application of the fertilizer can be accomplished with spray or granular using a 10 – 10 – 10 composition. If the soil conditions indicate a high phosphate content then an all nitrogen fertilizer is suggested.

Prune:
In order to keep plants compact pruning late in May is recommended in order to force them to branch. Additional pruning may be necessary if the plants are damaged by unusual weather conditions such as wind or hail.

Pest & Disease:
The plants are relatively disease-free although powdery mildew is possible if spring rains are especially frequent. In general watering in the early morning is recommended to allow the foliage to dry with sunrise. Mexican Bush Sage is deer and rabbit resistant and otherwise relatively pest-free.

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