White sage
Encyclopedia
Salvia apiana is an evergreen perennial
shrub that is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, found mainly in the coastal sage scrub
habitat of Southern California and Baja California, on the western edges of the Mojave
and Sonoran desert
s.
, chaparral
, and yellow-pine forests of Southern California to Baja California at less than 1500 metres (4,921.3 ft) elevation.
white sage, and hummingbirds also appear to like the plant.
and Salvia clevelandii
.
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
shrub that is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, found mainly in the coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...
habitat of Southern California and Baja California, on the western edges of the Mojave
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
and Sonoran desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
s.
Description
S. apiana is a shrub that reaches 1.3 to 1.5 m (4.3 to 4.9 ft) tall and 1.3 metres (4.3 ft) wide. The whitish evergreen leaves have oils and resins that release a strong aroma when rubbed. The flowers are very attractive to bees, which is described by the specific epithet, apiana. Several 1 to 1.3 m (3.3 to 4.3 ft) flower stalks, sometimes pinkish colored, grow above the foliage in the spring. Flowers are white to pale lavender.Distribution and habitat
White sage is a common plant that requires well-drained dry soil, full sun, and little water. The plant occurs on dry slopes in coastal sage scrubCoastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...
, chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
, and yellow-pine forests of Southern California to Baja California at less than 1500 metres (4,921.3 ft) elevation.
Ecology
Bumblebees, hawk moths, and wasps pollinatePollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
white sage, and hummingbirds also appear to like the plant.
Cultivation
S. apiana prefers a sunny location, well draining soil, and good air circulation. It easily hybridizes with other Salvia species, particularly Salvia leucophyllaSalvia leucophylla
Salvia leucophylla is an aromatic sage native to the southern coastal mountain ranges of California and Baja California.-Taxonomy:The plant's specific epithet, leucophylla, describes the light grayish leaves...
and Salvia clevelandii
Salvia clevelandii
Salvia clevelandii is a perennial plant that is native to Southern California and northern Baja California, growing below elevation in California coastal sage and chaparral habitat.-Taxonomy:The plant was named in 1874 by Asa Gray, honoring Daniel Cleveland, a plant collector.-Description:Salvia...
.
See also
- Medicinal plants of the American WestMedicinal plants of the American WestMany plants that grow in the American West are purported to have therapeutic properties by practitioners of alternative medicine.-Use and availability:European and Asian plants are commonly used in herbalism and are generally available in retail shops....
- California coastal sage and chaparralCalifornia coastal sage and chaparral ecoregionThe California coastal sage and chaparral, a sub-ecoregion of the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, is found in southwestern California and northwestern Baja California in Mexico.-Location:...
- (subecoregion) - Coastal sage scrubCoastal sage scrubCoastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...
- (plant association)