Black sage

Black Sage/
Purple Sage
Salvia mellifera/Salvia leucophylla

Black sage

Purple Sage
Salvia mellifera/Salvia leucophylla
Multi-branched shrubs 3 to 6 feet. Young
stems square, white-green.

Shape/Size
Multi-branched shrubs 3 to 6 feet. Young stems square, white-green becoming brownish-gray with age.

Leaves
Leaves grow opposite, long, and narrow (1/2 to 2 inches). Purple sage, grayish leaves; black sage, dark green leaves. Both have wrinkled upper surfaces and pale hairy undersides.

Flower/Fruits
Flowers on stalks above foliage are white (Black Sage) to pale lavender (Purple Sage) in whorls. Blooms April through June.

Range
Occurs in coastal (primarily Purple) and inland (primarily Black) foothill chaparral communities.

Flammability- High.
Especially when mature. The leaves contain aromatic, volatile resins and oils that contribute to flammability.

Maintenance
Regrowth occurs after fire or cutting via stump sprouting. Recommended clearance of all species 0 to 50 feet from structures and thinning between 50 to 200 feet. Cut back every two to three years.