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Cleveland Sage
Salvia clevelandii
  
About Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii) 83 Nurseries Carry This Plant Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii) is a small, evergreen shrub in the Mint family (Lamiaceae). The small gray-green leaves are very fragrant, as are the whorls of purple flowers. One shrub can perfume the whole garden on a warm, summer afternoon. Hummingbirds adore the nectar from the tubular flowers. It also attracts butterflies, bees, moths, and other pollinators. This is an important food source during the heat of summer.

It is native to chaparral and coastal sage scrub in Southern California, where it survives on annual rainfall alone. Plant Cleveland sage on well-drained flats, bluffs or gentle slopes for best results. Limit summer water to no more than once per month; although, no irrigation in summer after a year or two is best. This sage is arguably one of the most fragrant. Several cultivars and hybrids that are often available in nurseries are ?Winnifred Dilman', ?Allen Chickering', ?Aromas', 'Pozo Blue', and ?Whirly Blue', and ?Celestial Blue'.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
3 - 4.5 ft tall
8 ft wide

Form
Form
Mounding

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Blue, Purple, Lavender

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
Hummingbirds, insects

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 6 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Part Shade, Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Never irrigate once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy, Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 20° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerant of a variety of soils, although performs better in well-drained soils. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Deer Resistant, Hummingbird Gardens, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Chamise, Woolly Bluecurls, White Sage, California Buckwheat, California Coffeeberry, Toyon, Lemonade Berry, Coastal Prickly Pear Cactus, Manzanita species, Yucca species.

Maintenance
Maintenance
May be deadheaded to extend blooming season. May be pruned in fall to reduce size.

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment; sow outdoors in early fall. Germination may be poor if diurnal fluctuation is insufficient; also see alternative treatments for Black Sage (Salvia mellifera).

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
7, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Coastal to inland hills, canyons, bluffs and mesas as a component of mixed chaparral or coastal sage scrub

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 9.4" - 35.3", Summer Precipitation: 0.17" - 2.42", Coldest Month: 36.0" - 55.4", Hottest Month: 60.9" - 79.7", Humidity: 1.10" - 27.70", Elevation: 3" - 7631"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Blue Sage, Fragrant Sage


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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