A low-water, silver-leaf shrub for Hesperia, Victorville and Apple Valley that takes heat, wind and alkaline soil.
Get a Free Planting PlanTexas sage (Texas ranger) grows well in the High Desert: the SB County Guide to High Desert Landscaping says it tolerates full sun, heat, wind and alkali soil, and WUCOLS rates it Low water for the High and Intermediate Desert. What it needs is fast drainage, very little water once established and room to grow without shearing. The main caution is cold, since the common compact form is rated to about 10F and Victor Valley record lows go lower.
Top photo: Photo: Jim Evans, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Shrub · Leucophyllum frutescens · Also called Texas Ranger Plant, Texas Sage Bush, Cenizo, Purple Sage, Texas Barometer Bush, Texas Silverleaf, Silverleaf · Native to south and west Texas and northern Mexico
| Texas Sage at a glance in the High Desert | |
|---|---|
| Type and size at maturity | Evergreen shrub, 4 to 10 ft tall and 4 to 5 ft wide. Compact selections stay near 5 ft [1] |
| Growth rate | Slow [1] |
| Water once established | Low (WUCOLS IV, Region 5: L for Leucophyllum species and cultivars) [2] |
| Sun | Full sun and reflected heat [5] |
| Cold hardiness | ‘Compacta’ rated to 10F (Mountain States Wholesale Nursery); NC State lists USDA zones 8a to 11b. Borderline on the coldest High Desert nights [5] |
| Heat | Tolerates full sun and heat [1] |
| Wind | Tolerates wind [1] |
| Soil | Needs good drainage. Handles alkaline soil (pH above 8), sand, loam, clay and shallow rocky soil; wet soil invites cotton root rot [3] |
| Bloom | Lavender, pink or purple flowers in summer and fall, often right after rain or a jump in humidity [4] |
| Evergreen or deciduous | Evergreen, gray-silver foliage [1] |
| Pets | Not listed by the ASPCA; check with your vet. The ASPCA entry named “Texas Sage” is Salvia coccinea, a different plant [6] |
| Wildlife | Attracts butterflies; larval host for the Theona checkerspot and Calleta silkmoth; nesting cover for birds [4] |
| Rabbits and deer | High deer resistance [4] |
| Where it fits | Informal hedge, or an accent among other shrubs; needs no pruning [1] |
Heat, wind and alkaline soil are where Texas sage shines. The SB County Guide to High Desert Landscaping, prepared with UC Cooperative Extension, describes Leucophyllum frutescens as “tolerant of full sun, heat, wind, and alkali soil.” Mountain States Wholesale Nursery lists full sun and reflected heat for its compact form, so a hot west wall or a spot next to a driveway is fine.
Cold is the limit to plan around. Mountain States rates ‘Compacta’ hardy to 10F, and NC State lists the species for USDA zones 8a through 11b. Most of Hesperia, Victorville and Apple Valley are zone 8b, where the coldest night of an average winter falls between 15 and 20F. That is inside its range. NOAA records for Victorville go down near 0F, though, and low spots in a yard run colder than the forecast.
The High Desert frost dates and growing zones guide has local freeze numbers.
Drainage matters more than anything else. NC State and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center both warn that soil which stays moist makes Texas sage susceptible to cotton root rot. NC State lists alkaline soil above pH 8 as suitable, along with sand, loam, clay and shallow rocky soil, as long as drainage is good. The Wildflower Center lists caliche-type soils among the ones it grows in.
High Desert sandy soil is a good match. The trouble spots are clay pockets, low areas where runoff collects and caliche layers that trap water around the roots. Test-fill the planting hole with water; if it is still standing hours later, break through the hardpan or plant on a raised mound. The High Desert soils guide explains how.
WUCOLS IV rates Leucophyllum species and cultivars Low for Region 5, the High and Intermediate Desert. The Wildflower Center says the first year needs regular deep watering, and after that the plant needs little care beyond rainfall in its native range. Victorville only gets about 5.57 inches of rain a year, so plan on a low-flow drip line kept for dry stretches.
University of Arizona’s Care of Desert-Adapted Plants recommends deep, infrequent irrigation over light, frequent watering, and says to re-water when the soil has dried out about halfway through the root zone. That fits Texas sage well. Overwatering, not drought, is what leads to root rot.
The High Desert irrigation guide covers setting up separate low-water drip zones.
The SB County guide says Texas sage needs no pruning and suggests it as a hedge or as an accent with other shrubs. The gray-silver leaves stand out against dark rock and green plants, and the bloom shows up in flushes after summer rain. The Wildflower Center notes that it often flowers after a few summer showers, which fits its other common name, Texas barometer bush.
About the name: the plant goes by Texas sage, Texas ranger, cenizo and purple sage, but it is not a true sage. Ask for it at the nursery by the botanical name, Leucophyllum frutescens, to be sure you get the right plant. Nurseries also sell other Leucophyllum species, which WUCOLS also rates Low for the High Desert.
Plant after the last frost. Wait for new growth before removing any freeze-damaged tips.
Bloom comes in flushes after rain or humidity. Water established plants deeply and rarely; first-year plants on a regular deep schedule.
A good planting window. Light shaping, if any, after the fall bloom; the SB County guide says it needs no pruning.
Water only in long dry spells. ‘Compacta’ is rated to 10F, so expect some damage after the coldest nights.
Yes. WUCOLS rates Leucophyllum Low water for the High and Intermediate Desert. It needs regular deep water only during its first year.
Mountain States Wholesale Nursery rates the compact form hardy to 10F, and NC State lists zones 8a to 11b. It handles a normal Victor Valley winter but can be damaged on record cold nights.
Leucophyllum frutescens is not listed by the ASPCA, so check with your vet. The ASPCA plant called Texas sage is Salvia coccinea, a different plant.
Yes. Texas sage, Texas ranger, cenizo and purple sage are common names for Leucophyllum frutescens. Use the botanical name when you buy it.
Fall, or spring after the last frost (median March 18 in Victorville). Plant it in full sun in soil that drains fast.
We checked every number on this page against the public sources below. If a rule or date changes, the agency page is the final word.
Monarch designs and installs rockscape, drip irrigation and drought-tolerant plantings across the High Desert. We will check sun, wind and soil on your lot and tell you where a plant will do well and where it will struggle.
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