Hardiness zones
Sunset 13-24
USDA 9-11

Landscape Use: Great for informal mixed flower borders and gardens, floral accent, mass color, border background, sensory gardens, container plant

Form & Character: Delicate to sprawling and rangy, not restrained.

Growth Habit: Short-lived perennial, mostly herbaceous, that is often treated as an annual in Phoenix landscapes. Moderate growth rate sprawling to 4' with near equal spread. Most biologically active during winter and spring.

Foliage/Texture: Strongly aromatic leaves, opposite, glaucous and pubescent, ovate to lanceolate to 3" long on slender stems, medium fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Terminal light blue flowers to 1" diameter, borne on elongated spikes up to 1' long; fruit an inconspicuous paper capsule that might reseed.

Seasonal Color: Freely flowering during the late winter and spring

Temperature: Avoid summer western exposures.

Light: Full sun to partial shade, shade from western summer sun in Phoenix.

Soil: Requires a well drained soil and prefers an organic surface mulch.

Watering: Somewhat temperamental, apply regular water throughout the year to maintain luster and a dense canopy in Phoenix. Summer drought results in a loss of foliage making the plant look sparse. In it's native California range, it prefers dry soil during summer.

Pruning: Head back lightly in late fall or early winter if grown as perennial.

Propagation: Seed

Disease and pests: Nematodes, root rot, spittlebug on succulent stems especially if air circulation around plants is poor

Additional comments: California blue sage is somewhat difficult to grow in the lower desert during the summer because the intense heat tends to toast it as much as I like to toast sourdough English muffins for breakfast each morning. In the right garden microclimate however, this is a nice Mediterranean coastal chaparral shrub for mixed borders in Phoenix where a strong aromatic presence is wanted. Many cultivars are available.