{"product_id":"texas-sage-leucophyllum-frutescens","title":"Texas Sage - Leucophyllum frutescens","description":"\u003cp\u003eTexas Sage (\u003cem\u003eLeucophyllum frutescens\u003c\/em\u003e) is a tough, silver-leaved shrub from the deserts of the southern United States and northern Mexico, growing about 1m to 1.5m tall and wide. Soft grey leaves and lilac-purple flowers from spring to autumn make it a waterwise standout that thrives on neglect. Despite the name it is not a sage, but more closely related to native eremophilas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy you'll love it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSilver foliage all year.\u003c\/strong\u003e Small, soft grey leaves brighten borders and tone down strong colours.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA long flowering season.\u003c\/strong\u003e Individual flowers are short-lived, but the bush blooms for months and is full of nectar.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThrives on neglect.\u003c\/strong\u003e It wants no feeding and very little water, which makes it a plant for the low-input garden.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFrost and drought tolerant.\u003c\/strong\u003e It copes with frost and drought once established. It may lose a few leaves in very cold weather, then recovers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA wildlife plant.\u003c\/strong\u003e Bees come to the nectar-rich flowers throughout the season.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere it works best\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWaterwise and gravel gardens.\u003c\/strong\u003e Plant it with native grasses, eremophilas and other dry-climate plants in full sun, with gravel mulch around it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCoastal and desert-style gardens.\u003c\/strong\u003e It copes with heat and sandy coastal soils, and suits desert-style plantings with boulders and succulents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInformal hedges.\u003c\/strong\u003e Plant 1m apart in a single row. At that spacing the shrubs merge in about two seasons into a soft grey hedge of about 1.5m.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eGrowing Texas Sage in Australia\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePosition and climate.\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun. It prefers low humidity and a swing between day and night temperatures, so it thrives in arid, semi-arid, Mediterranean and drier warm temperate gardens. Humid coastal gardens are harder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil.\u003c\/strong\u003e Light, well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil, from sand to clay. If yours is heavy, add plenty of grit or sand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater and feed.\u003c\/strong\u003e Water carefully while it establishes: deep, less frequent watering encourages roots to go down in the first year. After that, grow it hard, with no feeding and no overwatering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePruning.\u003c\/strong\u003e Tip prune in autumn or winter to shape the plant and encourage bushy growth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat to expect when it arrives\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe sell Texas Sage as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly, and in 200mm pots in packs of 6 for faster cover. Tubes arrive small and settle in warm soil. The tube is supplied by our grower and sells out from time to time. A sold out tube simply means none are ready, and the notify button on the page will email you the day it is available again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePlant care guides and related reading\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/drought-tolerant-plants\"\u003eDrought tolerant plants for dry gardens\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-arid-climates\"\u003ePlants for arid and semi-arid climates\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/coastal-salt-tolerant-plants\"\u003eCoastal and salt tolerant plants\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/blog\/waterwise-garden-guide-sustainable-tips-and-plant-selections\"\u003eGuide to creating a waterwise garden\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs Texas sage actually a sage?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. It is more closely related to native eremophilas. The name comes from its soft grey foliage, which looks a little like culinary sage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWill it grow in a humid climate?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is much happier in low humidity. In humid areas it may lose leaves or suffer in wet summers, so choose a sunny, airy, free-draining spot or a pot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow often should I water it?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWater deeply but infrequently during the first year. After that, established plants need very little, and overwatering does more harm than drought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Nursery Near Me","offers":[{"title":"Tube (Backorder)","offer_id":67790853931327,"sku":"LEU-FRU-tube","price":11.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"200mm (Pack of 6)","offer_id":67790853964095,"sku":"LEU-FRU-200MM-P6","price":175.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0691\/2917\/5359\/files\/texas-sage-leucophyllum-frutescens.jpg?v=1792208916","url":"https:\/\/nurserynearme.com.au\/products\/texas-sage-leucophyllum-frutescens","provider":"Nursery Near Me","version":"1.0","type":"link"}