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Desert Sage
Salvia dorrii
  
About Desert Sage (Salvia dorrii) 11 Nurseries Carry This Plant Salvia dorrii (Tobacco sage, Dorr's sage, Mint sage, Purple sage) is a herbaceous perennial in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to mountain areas in the western United States and northwestern Arizona, found mainly in the Great Basin Range habitat and southward to the Mojave Desert, growing in dry, well draining soils. Some large native populations of this species also are found in the Aquarius Plateau region of Southern Utah. Salvia dorrii is a woody subshrub reaching 1-3 feet in height and width. The grey-green leaves are narrow and lance-shaped, are tapered at the base and rounded at the tip, and have a smooth and round margin. They are generally basal, and about 1-3 centimeter long. They have an intense but pleasant, mildly intoxicating minty aroma, with the scent released when the foliage is handled or crushed. The flower cluster is made up of spike-like clusters of numerous purple flowers that are bilateral. The flowers remain on the plants after being pollinated, with the desiccated flowers remaining for some weeks or months after flowering. The flower clusters have a strong resemblance to miniature purple-colored Pussy willows.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
1 - 3 ft tall
24 - 36 in wide

Form
Form
Upright, Spreading

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Blue, Purple

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 8 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Extremely Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Never irrigate once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to -5° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Soil Description
Soil Description
Prefers sandy or decomposed granite soil. Soil PH: 6 - 7.8

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

Maintenance
Maintenance
Prune lightly after flowering.

Propagation
Propagation?
Propagate by dividing plants in early spring or from cuttings of new growth at anytime of the year.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Dry, rocky places

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.7" - 34.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.12" - 3.28", Coldest Month: 25.2" - 61.5", Hottest Month: 46.7" - 88.1", Humidity: 0.69" - 41.26", Elevation: 488" - 10545"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Dorr's Sage, Purple 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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