Desert Sage, Salvia dorrii

About Desert Sage (Salvia dorrii) 9 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Salvia dorrii (Tobacco sage, Dorr's sage, Mint sage, Purple sage) is a herbaceous perennial in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to mountain areas in the western United States and northwestern Arizona, found mainly in the Great Basin Range habitat and southward to the Mojave Desert, growing in dry, well draining soils. Some large native populations of this species also are found in the Aquarius Plateau region of Southern Utah. Salvia dorrii is a woody subshrub reaching 1-3 feet in height and width. The grey-green leaves are narrow and lance-shaped, are tapered at the base and rounded at the tip, and have a smooth and round margin. They are generally basal, and about 1-3 centimeter long. They have an intense but pleasant, mildly intoxicating minty aroma, with the scent released when the foliage is handled or crushed. The flower cluster is made up of spike-like clusters of numerous purple flowers that are bilateral. The flowers remain on the plants after being pollinated, with the desiccated flowers remaining for some weeks or months after flowering. The flower clusters have a strong resemblance to miniature purple-colored Pussy willows.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

1 - 3 ft tall
24 - 36 in wide

Form

Upright, Spreading

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

Fragrance

Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color

Blue, Purple

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
Hummingbird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 9 likely * ) SHOW ALL

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Alfalfa Looper Moth Autographa californicaAutographa californica

Bilobed Looper Moth Megalographa bilobaMegalographa biloba

Wavy-Lined Emerald Synchlora aerataSynchlora aerata

Hawaiian Beet Webworm Spoladea recurvalisSpoladea recurvalis

Pherne subpunctataPherne subpunctata

Anstenoptilia marmarodactylaAnstenoptilia marmarodactyla

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Extremely Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Never irrigate once established

Nurseries

Carried by 9

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to -5° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Prefers sandy or decomposed granite soil. Soil PH: 6 - 7.8

Common uses

Bank Stabilization, Deer Resistant, Hummingbird Gardens, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

Yellow Bush Penstemon (Keckiella antirrhinoides), Royal Lupine (Lupinus odoratus), Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea), Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia)

Maintenance

Prune lightly after flowering.

Propagation?

Propagate by dividing plants in early spring or from cuttings of new growth at anytime of the year.

Natural Setting

Site Type

Dry, rocky places

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 3.7" - 34.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.12" - 3.28", Coldest Month: 25.2" - 61.5", Hottest Month: 46.7" - 88.1", Humidity: 0.69" - 41.26", Elevation: 488" - 10545"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Dorr's Sage, Purple Sage

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Desert Sage

Salvia dorrii

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Desert SageSalvia dorrii

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Desert Sage

Salvia dorrii