Rudbeckia californica
Large, bold perennial native to montane seeps and meadows where they receive regular moisture. The big leafy clumps can become very large growing 3 foot tall or more. Midsummer brings showy yellow daisies on tall stems with a distinctive long central cone and a skirt of three inch yellow petals. Plant in sun to light shade with regular water. Highly attractive to bees and other pollinators.
Rudbeckia glaucescens
This uncommon coneflower hails from the Klamath Mountains of northern California and southern Oregon. While similar in flower to the California coneflower, featuring yellowish-brown cones encircled with a skirt of long, yellow petals, this species has waxy leaves tinted a striking blue-gray. The flowers perch atop leafless stalks reaching 3 to 4 ft tall, rising above the large, lance-shaped leaves. A favorite of bees and butterflies. Even though this species normally occurs in serpentine soils, it grows easily in almost any soil type, as long as it is kept moist. Enjoys regular to moderate irrigation and full sun to part shade.
Rudbeckia occidentalis
From mountains in Northern California and throughout the West comes this unusual and distinctive coneflower. Deep purple, almost black cones sit atop a star of green sepals without any petals to distract from the striking form. Large, pointed green leaves climb up the flowering stems which can reach 5 or 6 ft. high. Slowly spreads to form a small clump in moist locations with decent drainage. Will tolerate full sun near the coast, but some afternoon shade is needed in hot, inland areas. An excellent pollinator plant from the sunflower family attracting bees and butterflies. Works well in a container. Winter deciduous.
Salvia ‘Aromas’
A hybrid between Salvia clevelandii & Salvia leucophylla, this aromatic shrubby sage grows 4 ft. tall and 4 ft. wide. Early summer brings flower stalks with whorls of lavender-blue blossoms. Good for sunny areas with good drainage. Occasional to little summer water. Flowers are attractive to bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. Deer and drought tolerant.
Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’
A beautiful native hybrid sage grows around 18 inches tall by 6 ft. wide or more. The handsome gray foliage is topped with a profusion of lavender flowers on long spikes in the spring. Sun, decent drainage, occasional to little water. Deer tolerant. A bee and hummingbird favorite.
Salvia ‘Calamity Jane’
A cross between Salvia leucophylla and a prostrate form of Salvia mellifera. Forms a fragrant mounding shrub up to 4 ft. tall and spreading, with flower spikes of light lavender blossoms. An excellent choice for a dry sunny bank with little to no summer water once established. Flowers are highly attractive to bees and hummingbirds. Deer resistant.
Salvia ‘Celestial Blue’
A pollinator powerhouse, this sage attracts hummingbirds, bees and butterflies with its vibrant blossoms. Selected and introduced by Las Pilitas Nursery, thought to be a hybrid between Salvia clevelandii and S. pachyphylla, or perhaps a three way hybrid involving Salvia 'Pozo Blue'. Gray-green, sweetly fragrant foliage, grows 3 to 5 ft. tall and wide. The striking blue flowers are on widely spaced whorls of eye-catching violet-blue. The decorative, architectural seed heads that follow provide food for songbirds. Plant in full sun with good drainage and occasional water. Drought and deer tolerant tolerant.
Salvia ‘Mrs. Beard’
This cultivar has been around since 1965, a chance seedling discovered in a Berkeley garden. A hybrid between Salvia sonomensis and Salvia mellifera, 'Mrs. Beard’ has proven durable and disease resistant. Forms a dense mat of gray fragrant foliage up to 2 ft. tall and 4-6 ft. wide. Spring brings an abundance of tiny pale lavender-blue flowers in ball-like clusters that are highly attractive to bees and hummingbirds. Plant in full sun along coast and light shade in hot inland sites, where it will be quite drought tolerant once established. Deer resistant.
Salvia ‘Shirley’s Creeper’
A vigorous garden hybrid involving the native Salvia mellifera selected by Charlie Christiansen. The cultivar name is misleading. This shrub does not creep exactly but mounds up 4-6 ft. tall and wide. It can be kept lower and more dense by an annual cutting back after flowering. Dark green aromatic foliage is a nice foil for the whorls of white flowers in the spring which are a favorite of bees and hummingbirds. Plant in full sun to light shade. Very drought tolerant once established. Dependably deer resistant.
Salvia apiana
A striking native sage with large, silvery-white, aromatic leaves and tall flower stalks reaching above the foliage displaying lavender tinged white blossoms. The foliage of this shruby sage reaches 3 - 4 ft. tall with flowering stalks adding another 2 ft. or more above that. A useful plant for sunny, dry areas with good drainage. Combine with dark-leaved plants such as ceanothus and manzanitas to create a dramatic display. Used in smudge bundles as a natural incense. A bee and hummingbird favorite. Deer resistant.
Salvia apiana ‘Compacta’
Having all the attributes of white sage, but growing about half the size, topping out at around 3 ft. tall. Gorgeous silver-gray foliage and stately flower stems of white, pollinator attracting blossoms. Heat and drought tolerant, this striking sage makes a wonderful specimen and contrasts beautifully with greener foliage. Plant in full sun with good drainage where it thrives with summer heat and drought. The powerfully fragrant foliage is dependably deer resistant.
Salvia brandegeei
Native to Southern Spain and North West Africa, this herbaceous perennial spends much of the growing season as a low mound of gray-green wavy leaves. Early summer, tall flower stems rise 3 - 5 feet, with branched spikes of lovely light lavender-blue blossoms, that last about one month. Cut down old spikes or allow to go to seed for future propagation. Plant in sun with good drainage and moderate summer water. Pollinators of all sorts love sages.
Salvia brandegeei ‘Pacific Blue’
A very nice form of a tough and durable native shrubby sage introduced by Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Growing 4-6 ft. tall and wide with dark green textured foliage with white hairs on the leaf undersides. Instead of the typical light lavender flowers, this cultivar offers dark lavender-blue blossoms. Plant in full sun with little to no summer water once established. This native sage seems very tolerant of soil types even managing on heavy clay. Sage flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, their seeds provide food for birds. Deer resistant.
Salvia clevelandii ‘Winnifred Gilman’
Floriferous native shrubby sage prized for its intense violet-blue flowers and sweetly fragrant foliage. ‘Winnifred Gilman’ has a nice compact habit to around 3 ft. tall. Well suited for sunny areas with good drainage and occasional summer water. Deer and drought tolerant; attracts bees and hummingbirds.
Salvia clevelandii x ‘Allen Chickering’
Delightfully fragrant hybrid sage between S. clevelandii and S. leucophylla. Blue lavender flowers in whorls during summer. Grows 3 - 5 ft. tall and wide. Good for dry sunny areas. Attractive to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Deer resistant.
Salvia clevelandii x ‘Kaleidoscope’
This striking new introduction features rosy-purple flowers in whorls atop dense, grey foliage. ‘Kaleidoscope’ is a nice and compact sage, only reaching to 2 – 3 ft. high and slowly spreading to form a small drift about 4 ft. wide. It is proving to be quite a garden tolerant Salvia and resistant to disease, though we are still evaluating it. Enjoys full sun and occasional to no irrigation once established. Needs decent drainage. An excellent plant for bees and butterflies. This selection was discovered by Terry Loveton in her west Sonoma County garden. Deer resistant.
Salvia clevelandii x ‘Pozo Blue’
This hybrid of Salvia clevelandii and Salvia leucophylla was selected by Las Pilitas Nursery and is getting very good reviews. It appears to be a good substitute for Cleveland sage tolerating less than perfect soil conditions and colder low temperatures. Growing 3-5 ft tall and wide with gray-green fragrant foliage. Blue-lavender flowers in ball-like clusters top the shrub in late spring through early summer and are highly attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Best in full sun with decent drainage. Drought tolerant once established. Deer resistant.
Salvia clevelandii x ‘Whirly Blue’
Large native sage growing 4.5 - 6 ft. tall and wide with aromatic gray-green foliage and rich violet flowers. Very large flower whorls and deeper color distinguish it from Salvia ‘Aromas’ and Salvia ‘Allen Chickering’. Good for dry sunny areas. Deer resistant. Attractive to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.
Salvia leucophylla
Purple sage is a highly-aromatic shrub, native to coastal scrub and chaparral from the Big Sur to San Diego. This delightful and dependable salvia boasts lavender-pink floral whorls arranged along spike-like stems. In summer, the spent flower stalks retain attractive showy bracts, good for seasonal interest and seeds for birds. The foliage has a mounding habit with soft-green-to-silvery leaves. This species generally reaches 3-5 ft tall and considerably wide, but some popular cultivars range from more upright to a 2-foot spreading groundcover. Easy to grow in full sun with occasional-to-infrequent water. A great choice for a sunny bank. Deer resistant.
Salvia leucophylla ‘Amethyst Bluff’
Selected by Carol Bornstein for its vivid rosy-pink flowers, this willing grower starts out as a low mounding shrub, eventually getting very large, reaching 5 ft. or more tall by 8 ft. wide. The fragrant silvery foliage is a lovely foil for the large flower heads on 12 inch stalks. Perfect choice for sunny banks where it can sprawl freely and is excellent for erosion control. Drought tolerant, particularly along the coast, but appreciates an occasional summer watering. A bee and hummingbird favorite. Deer and drought resistant.
Salvia leucophylla ‘Figueroa’
A beautiful selection of the native gray sage. Forms a compact shrub 3 - 4 ft. tall and more than 6 ft. wide. The gorgeous whitish-gray foliage is topped with long stems of lavender-pink flowers in whorls. Good choice for a dry sunny bank where it is heat, drought and deer tolerant. This species attracts bees and hummingbirds.
Salvia leucophylla ‘Point Sal’
A compact, low form of the native purple sage reaching 2 ft. or so tall by more than 6 ft. wide. An evergreen shrub with beautiful, silvery, aromatic foliage and pale lavender-pink flowers in whorls on wand-like stems. Useful in dry sunny areas but will also accept moderate moisture, unlike most native sages. An excellent garden subject which is more sturdy and disease resistant than the popular 'Bee's Bliss'. Great for covering hot banks and retaining walls. Discovered on Point Sal in southern California. Attracts bees and hummingbirds. Deer resistant.
Salvia mellifera
California’s most common sage occurring in coastal scrub and chaparral communities from the San Francisco Bay Area south into Baja. Grows about 3 - 5 ft. tall and wide with textured, highly aromatic foliage. Flowers in late spring with tight whorls of small whitish to pale lavender blossoms. Flowers are not super showy, but renowned as an excellent source of nectar for bees and hummingbirds. Plant in full sun to light shade where it is tough, drought tolerant and deer resistant. No additional water is required once established.
Salvia mellifera ‘Big Rock’
California's most common sage, growing in coastal scrub and chaparral communities from SF Bay Area south to Baja. The selection 'Big Rock' hails from the most northerly population, on Big Rock Ridge in Marin County. This sage is considered one of the best sources of nectar for bees and attracts a wide array of pollinators, including solitary native bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The seeds are relished by quail and other birds. This selection is particularly fast growing and disease resistant, sporting highly fragrant, dark green foliage, growing 5 - 6 ft tall and somewhat wider. Late spring brings spikes of bluish-white flowers arranged in tight whorls. Plant in full sun where it will be extremely drought tolerant once established. Deer resistant.
Salvia mellifera ‘Terra Seca’
Here is an interesting form of the normally upright, native black sage. 'Terra Seca' grows to about 2 1/2 ft. tall and 5 ft. wide. Perfect for a dry sunny bank where it will cover the ground densely and thickly. It will spill over a wall beautifully. The flowers are pale lavender. Deer and drought resistant. This species attracts bees and hummingbirds.
Salvia pachyphylla
Native to southern California deserts, this beautiful silvery shrub of intensely aromatic foliage grows 18 - 30 inches tall and wide. Spikes of densely packed violet whorls support elongated blue flowers, blooming over a long period in summer. This striking sage requires full sun with excellent drainage, where it will be extremely drought tolerant once established. A magnet for pollinators including butterflies and hummingbirds. Deer resistant.
Salvia sonomensis
Sonoma sage is a wonderful native perennial and can be a serviceable groundcover if its needs are met. Good drainage is a must and it performs best with light shade. Water plants to get established-very drought tolerant, will NOT tolerate regular summer water. Mat forming, flowers rise to about 6 inches above the foliage and are lavender-blue. This species attracts bees and hummingbirds. Deer resistant.