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Vital facts: Salvia clevelandii, or as it is known by its common name, Cleveland Sage, is a large graceful evergreen drought tolerant shrub 3 to 5 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide with gray green foliage and blue to purplish flowers throughout the summer. This
California
native sage blooms starting in early summer. Remove spent flowers to have blooms all summer to fall. This sage stands out from other sages as it is evergreen throughout the winter, making it a great foundation plant the deer won't eat.
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Growing conditions: It prefers full sun and fast-draining or sandy soil. Make sure to amend your clay soil and not to plant in an area where water pools in the winter. Like many native sages of California, it is tolerate of dry soils, and seems to thrive on neglect.
A few fun facts: Native to the high mountainous areas of southern California, Cleveland Sage perfumes the air for a distance of as much as 20 feet with an enticing herbal scent. As with the 900 other species of sage worldwide, the seeds are edible. Native Americans would roast the seeds, grind them and mix them with water. The result is a nutritious porridge. Most common uses for the plant are harvesting the flowers for arrangements and salves, and using the leaves for salves, refreshing teas, and smudge sticks. The plethora of uses for this plant are too numerous to mention here. Consult your local herbalist and/or library for information.
Helpful Hints: Cut back in late winter to keep bushy and full for best bloom next summer. To best set off its silver color, use with contrasting colors including other Sages. It looks very nice with not only other sages, but native lupines, native California fuschia, lavenders, and germanders. To prevent deer from munching on this fragrant plant in the mint family, make sure to grow it hard, meaning to let it dry out between waterings. This makes any plant in the mint family (Lavender, Sage, Rosemary) increase the amount of fragrant oil as a defense against the sun and predators, such as deer.
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