Amethyst Bluff Sage

Carried by 11 nurseries

Estimated plant range Estimated plant range

Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Plant description

Horticultural selection from salvia leucophylla. This large Purple sage was introduced by Carol Bernstein from a specimen found on the coastal bluffs of Pt. Sal in santa Barbara County. Amethyst Bluff starts out as a low-mounding shrub but eventually grows very large, reaching up to 1 feet in height and spreading up to 15 feet. It is ideally suited for a large scale planting, particularly on a sunny slope or bank where it can sprawl freely. This selection tolerates heavy soils and provides good erosion control. Amethyst Bluff has fragrant silvery foliage and showy lavender flowers on 12 inch long spikes. It is very attractive to butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden. Introduced by C. Bornstein of Rancho santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

Plant overview

Plant type

Shrub

Size

4 - 5 ft Tall
6 - 8 ft Wide

Form

Rounded

Growth rate

Fast

Dormancy

Evergreen, Summer Semi-deciduous

Fragrance

Pleasant

Color

Lavender, Pink

Flowering season

Spring

Special uses

Groundcover

Landscaping information

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Extremely Low, Very Low

Ease of care

Easy

Cold tolerance

Soil drainage

Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil description

Tolerates a wide variety of soils.

Wildlife supported

Bats

Caterpillars

Butterflies

Alternative names

Common names:

Amethyst Bluff Purple Sage

Sources

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Additional references for this page:

Thanks to Moosa Creek Nursery and the Theodore Payne Foundation for sharing information about this plant