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of ways. They provide nesting sites for native bird species as well as provide protection and cover for ground-dwelling birds such as Gambel’s quail. They also attract adult butterflies and are larval plants for certain butterfly and moth species. The most popular variety of Texas Sage, called Green Cloud, has dark green leaves and deep purple blooms. Other varieties of Texas Sage often found planted throughout Southwestern gardens include the smaller variety called Compacta, as well as White Cloud, which has white flowers instead of purple.
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Sage advice for your shrubs Over pruning Texas Sage turns vibrant shrubs to green blobs. Here’s how to prune properly
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Texas Sage is a large shrub, so it needs a space at least 10 feet wide to grow to its mature size. This shrub can be used throughout the landscape in a variety of ways. It makes a great informal hedge, which can be used to screen out an undesirable view or delineate property lines. Because of its large size, Texas Sage looks best when used as a
BY WENDE GEHRT
I
Even when not in bloom, these shrubs are an asset to the landscape with their attractive gray-green foliage. The leaves of sage shrubs have tiny hairs that cover them,
F YOU LIVE IN MARICOPA, YOU have undoubtedly seen the beautiful shrub leucophyllum frutescens , commonly referred to as Texas Sage
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or Texas Ranger. These purple flowering beauties are truly fuss-free plants. They often flower in response to watering or increased humidity in spring and early fall.
which help to limit water loss from their leaves while also reflecting the sun’s rays. Texas Sage shrubs benefit wildlife in a variety
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background or foundation plant. Avoid planting it in front of windows, because it will impair the view; use it to flank either side of the windows instead. Homeowners and landscapers often over prune these flowering shrubs. Repeated shearing of Texas Sage robs it of its beauty and turns it into a green blob. Pruning more than a few times a year is not needed as long as you provide enough room for it to grow. Perhaps you’ve seen them pruned into cupcake, mushroom or flat-top shapes. Sadly, pruning these beautiful flowering shrubs this way robs them of their flowers, increases maintenance, creates dead wood and shortens their life. Shrubs pruned too often require more water as they constantly work to replace foliage lost. If you have overgrown or over sheared your Texas Sage shrubs, the solution is quite simple: In late winter, once the danger of frost has passed, prune back shrubs severely to 2 feet tall and wide. This type of severe pruning rejuvenates the shrubs by getting rid of old, unproductive growth and stimulating new growth. Although this stage is somewhat ugly, new growth will soon follow. Severe pruning can be done every three years or so to keep shrubs healthy. In other years lightly prune back to one-third to one-half their size in spring if needed. Wende Gehrt is a Pinal County Master Gardener.
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InMaricopa.com | October 2025
October 2025 | InMaricopa.com
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