Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
10/10/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Linda Naeve, Reiman Gardens, (515) 294-2710, lnaeve@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033,
jmcguire@iastate.edu
Mexican Bush Sage is Worth the Wait
By Linda Naeve
Extension Coordinator
Reiman Gardens
This week's Reiman's Pick, Mexican bush sage, Salvia leucantha, proves that "all good things are worth the wait." Every week since late August, I have been waiting for blooms to appear on this tall shrub-like herbaceous plant. It finally bloomed in late September, and now it adds a wonderful fresh touch to the garden when other plants may look worn out after a long summer. Mexican bush sage should continue to bloom until killed by a hard freeze.
Mexican bush sage is a relative of many other salvia species that we grow in our gardens. But, Mexican bush sage grows a bit differently. This sturdy, bushy plant will grow to nearly four feet tall during the summer but doesn't bloom until the very end of the season. It is typically planted near the back of a border garden where it simply goes unnoticed until fall, when it bursts into bloom with four- to six-inch long, slightly arching, velvety purple spikes at the top of the plants.
Mexican bush sage is a perennial in its native Mexico and as far north as zone 7. However, Iowa gardeners grow it as an annual. Small transplants are set out in sunny, well-drained sites in the spring after the threat of frost is past. Space the plants at least three feet apart because they will fill out and take up a large area in the garden. After planting, Mexican bush sage requires very little maintenance and grows quickly with narrow silver-gray leaves. Some gardeners pinch it back or shear it slightly once or twice early in the summer to create a fuller, more compact plant.
If you are looking for a plant that fills in a large area and can survive drought conditions, this may be a plant to consider. Unlike its cousin, red salvia (Salvia splendens) that often suffers under intense summer heat and drought, Mexican bush sage actually thrives in these conditions.
Mexican bush sage has several garden and landscape uses. It can be used as a massed bedding plant, a container plant in large pots, a background plant in a mixed perennial border, or a single landscape specimen. The long flower spikes can also be used as cut flowers. The foliage and flowers of Mexican bush sage contrast well with other plants that bloom in late fall, such as asters and chrysanthemums.
This time of year, gardeners aren't the only ones who will appreciate the colorful fall blooms of Mexican bush sage. Hummingbirds migrating south for the winter also find the blooms attractive because of their abundant nectar.
Mexican bush sage is now blooming in the Dunlap Entry Courtyard at Reiman Gardens.
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