NPSOT Logo

Big Bend Silverleaf

Leucophyllum minus

Other common name(s):

Big Bend Barometerbush

Family:

Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Chihuahuan Deserts, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Shrub

Height

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

1
to
3
ft.

Leaf Retention

Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Limestone, Calcareous, Well Drained, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Purple, Violet

Bloom Season

Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Nectar

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Bees

Maintenance

All cenizos are susceptible to cotton root rot.

Comments

Blooms May-November. A more cold hardy dwarf cenizo found in the Chihuahuan Deserts Ecoregion. Big Bend Barometerbush is the west Texas version of the south Texas Cenizo. It has small gray leaves and pale milky pink flowers. This bush blooms after rain or in high humidity.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Wasowski, Sally and Wasowski, Andy, Native Texas Plants, Landscaping Region by Region, 1988, 1991, pg 249. 3) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=23071&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LEMI4. 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=33630#null

Download a 1 page PDF file for this plant, suitable for sharing, printing, and plant sales. Includes an ecoregion map, and a QR code back to this page.

Downloading PDFs only works on desktop browsers

You can favorite this plant and others and maintain a list of your favorite native plants below. You can also unfavorite a plant and clear your list. Click on a plant to go to it.

      No Favorites