Gray bracts, mealy to the touch. Shipley Nature Center, Huntington Central Park, Huntington Beach, CA. 2-23-08. © Joan Avise

Purple Sage

Salvia leucophylla

Named for the white colored leaves. A common 3-5 ft. shrub with whitish gray foliage on dry slopes in coastal sage scrub from the Limestone Canyon area north. It is attractive to bees and can hybridize with S. mellifera. 

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Flowers in head-like whorls. Limestone Canyon Reserve, Orange County, CA 6-4-11. © Joan Avise

Forked style, 2 exserted (extending beyond petals) stamens. Limestone Canyon Reserve, Orange County, CA 6-4-11. © Joan Avise

Limestone Canyon Reserve, Orange County, CA. 6-4-11. © Joan Avise

3-5ft. perennial, grayish white foliage Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary, Modjeska Canyon, Orange Co., CA. 9-23-07. © Joan Avise

Leaves opposite, wrinkled, woolly underside. The leaves have small rounded teeth, are heart-shaped at the base and have prominent veins.  Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary, Modjeska Canyon, Orange Co., CA. 9-23-07. © Joan Avise

Summer dormancy, Black Star Cyn Rd., to Main Divide, 10-28-12. © Ron Vanderhoff.

Summer dormancy, Black Star Cyn Rd., to Main Divide, 10-28-12. © Ron Vanderhoff.

Summer dormancy, Black Star Cyn Rd., to Main Divide, 10-28-12. © Ron Vanderhoff.

Sant. Cyn. Rd., nr. Irvine Lake, 4-11-15. © Ron Vanderhoff.

Sant. Cyn. Rd., nr. Irvine Lake, 4-11-15. © Ron Vanderhoff.