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Native Plant Society of Texas

Shrubby Blue Sage

Salvia ballotiflora

Other common name(s):

Blue Shrub Sage, Mejorana

Family:

Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

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Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland
Coastal Sand Plain, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Shrub

Height

3
to
5
ft.

Spread

3
to
5
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

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

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Blue, Purple

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Seeds, Nectar, Pollen, Flowers

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Small Mammals, Nectar Insects, Hummingbirds, Bees

Maintenance

This plant can grow in a variety of well-drained soils. Salvia ballotiflora is heat-loving, low-maintenance, and drought-resistant. Works well as an aromatic, showy accent shrub. Cut it back in late winter to produce a bushier plant in the spring. Can be grown in container gardens. Propagation: seed.

Comments

Blooms April-July. A branching aromatic shrub with square stems. Small, hairy, oval leaves have serrated margins and are aromatic. Flowers are bluish-purple in elongated clusters. The fruit is a nutlet.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. Miller, 2) George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SABA5. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=13689&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 5) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=32700#null, 6) https://myplantin.com/plant/2629, 7) https://garden.org/plants/view/84963/Blue-Shrub-Sage-Salvia-ballotiflora/
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