Salvia Leucantha Plant

Facts about Salvia Leucantha plant. Salvia leucantha is commonly known as the Mexican bush sage or Midnight Mexican Sage, this bushy, downy and evergreen subshrub is a perennial hailing from Mexico and Central America. The Salvia Leucantha plant are used as annual borders as well as mixed borders and they are very conspicuous when used in pots and tubs. They bear purple or white bicolored flowers usually clasped by smooth purple calycles from late summer to frost. The flowers of the Salvia Leucantha plant, which extend above the foliage, appear as dense, terminal and arching spikes making them a center of attraction to hummingbirds and butterflies.

Attributes of the Salvia Leucantha plant

Salvia Leucantha plant are featured by lance-shaped leaves that are grey-green in color while the overall foliage is characterized by velvet-like texture. These leaves pucker together at the top and form a white-wooly cover underneath. The Salvia Leucantha plant grows up to 2 to 4 feet (.06 to 1.21 meters) tall and about the same width. The Salvia Leucantha plant thick stems grow very fast. They bloom throughout the year but at any given time of the year, they are featured by few flowers per cluster. The Salvia Leucantha plant can be planted in mixed hedges along with butterfly bush, rosemary, autumn sage and other salvias.

Conditions for Growth of the Salvia Leucantha plant

The Salvia Leucantha plant are generally cold hardy plants and they can do well in zone 8 through to zone 10. They are normally grown, as annual plants though they are actually perennial. They require moist, well-drained soils as well as full sunny conditions. Nonetheless, Salvia Leucantha plant can tolerate light shades in the afternoons. They are drought-tolerant but they do well in areas where moisture is sufficient. They are propagated from root and stem cuttings. The Salvia Leucantha plant should be grown at a spacing of about 3 to 4 feet (.91 to 1.21 meters).

Care of the Salvia Leucantha plant

Salvia Leucantha plant requires minimal maintenance especially if it is grown in moist and well-drained soils. It may need regular watering if it is grown in areas where moisture is not sufficient. Insecticides should be applied to protect Salvia Leucantha plant from rust, powdery mildew, fungal leaf spots, whiteflies, stem rot and mealybugs.