Description

The white sage is native to coastal sage scrub and chaparral from San Luis Obispo County south into northern Baja, Mexico. Its range includes a couple of the Channel Islands. White sage grows as an open shrub with clusters of tightly spaced, lance-shaped leaves. The leaves are a bright silvery white. When one encounters white sage in the wild, the clusters of leaves often appear as silver flowers growing among other shrubs. It tends to grow among other plants and is easily missed until it sends up tall shoots of white flowers. These tower up to seven feet or more. The flower stems lean if unsupported, which allows the plant to distribute seed widely in the summer. In the garden, provide white sage with a sunny site with well-draining soil and support and/or prune the flower stems to achieve an acceptable appearance.