Description

Cleveland sage is native to coastal chaparral from Los Angeles County into northern Baja. It grows as an open rounded shrub with fragrant foliage and attractive violet flowers. The ‘Winnifred Gilman’ selection first appeared - somewhat surprisingly - in the San Francisco Bay Area. The original collection site is not known. Since the 90’s this selection has been one of the mainstays of native landscaping. And for good reason. It grows to about five feet with dark green foliage, which contrast nicely with the violet flowers of late spring. The flowers cover ‘Winnifred Gilman’ quite densely and attract hummingbirds and pollinators. The spent flowers can be pruned back as the flowers fade, or left to produce abundant seed for wildlife. As the summer progresses, cleveland sage goes dormant, and can look quite dead without some supplemental water. Occasional deep watering in a sunny, well-draining site seems to suit ‘Winnifred Gilman’ best. Be careful not to overwater. This can be fatal to this dry-loving sage.