Salvia dorrii
Purple Sage
Desert Sage
Plant Family:
Lamiaceae
Small Shrub (usually < 1.5' and not >3')
Flower:
Purple
Blooms :
May
to:
Jul
Showy terminal clusters blue to purple
Botanical Description
Fragrant?
No
Foliage:
Other
Evergreen
Pat Kolling
Aromatic foliage; leaves are opposite, oval, widest at tip and taper to the stem. They have a smooth margin, and silver grey.
Oregon Native?
Yes
West State Native?
Yes
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
Site Selection
Minimum USDA Hardiness Zone:
5
Water Needs:
L
Sun Needs:
Full Sun
Deer Resistant?
Yes
Firewise?
No
Height:
8-32"
Spread:
2-3'
Growth Rate:
Medium
Native Habitat:
Dry, open scabland & sagebrush areas
Soil:
Sandy, rocky, or limestone soil
Care Recommendations
Maintenance Level:
Low
Fertilizer:
Low fertility soil
Mulch:
In colder USDA zones (zone 6 and below) it is essential to give Native Southwestern and Southwestern hybrids protection from the extreme cold their first couple winters in the garden. Mound up pine needles or fallen autumn leaves over and around the base
Long Term:
Most of the new growth dies back in the winter, though some persists and becomes woody (Strachan 1982). For this reason pruning of Salvia dorrii is not necessary in order to increase the number of
flowering branches. Pruning the lateral branches, however
Winter:
Spring:
Summer:
Prune lightly after flowering.
Fall:
Wait to cut back the plants until spring for improved cold hardiness.
Common Problems
Diseases:
Botrytis Blight, Downy Mildew, Impatiens Necrotic Spot. (https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-and-disease-descriptions?title=Salvia)
Insects:
Also called: