Salvia leucantha

Mexican Bush Sage is a striking fall-blooming plant that performs brilliantly in our region. It will actually survive most winters as a perennial throughout most of Oklahoma if planted in a sunny protected location with well drained soil. During the spring and summer the plant shows off its attractive gray-green foliage then erupts in fall with its spikes of amazing flowers. Up close you’ll notice the blooms have a velvety appearance to their purple calyces and contrasting white corollas. The flowers seem to be a favorite of the migrating Monarch butterflies each fall and they can also be used as fresh cut-flowers and in dried arrangements. Be sure to leave the tops on these plants through winter and cut them back in early to mid March.