Chihuahuan sage is an evergreen with an upright growth habit and interesting shape. It reaches heights of four feet tall with a five-foot spread. This plant produces small, oval leaves that are a half inch to a quarter-inch wide. Its foliage is the smallest of all the rangers, in colors varying from a bluish green to olive green color. This shrub is less reliant on the summer monsoon to produce its flowers. The blooming period starts in the spring and continues until the fall. It is the longest bloomer of all the Texas rangers. The blossoms are fragrant, showy spikes of blue, lavender, purple, or violet, and they attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
Chihuahuan sage likes full sun and reflected heat, but also takes some filtered shade. It is drought resistant but needs supplemental irrigation until the summer monsoons arrive. This plant prefers well-draining, alkaline, and limestone soil, but can take most other soil conditions. Do not overwater it since it is susceptible to root rot. It has a moderately fast growth rate and may need occasional, light pruning once a year in the spring. It looks its best, however, when it is left to grow naturally as an open, sprawling plant. This plant is hardy to about eighteen degrees Fahrenheit and may defoliate at fifteen degrees.
Use it as a foundation planting, in medians, along roadways, as an informal hedge, in background plantings or as a desert accent around pools and patios. It is native to hillsides and rocky limestone soils in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, and Durango, Mexico growing at elevations from 4,000 to 7,800 feet. It is also found growing in the Big Bear County of Texas.