| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
|
Category |
Shrub |
|
Size |
3′ x 3′ |
|
Flower Color |
Spring to Fall |
|
Flower Season |
Spring to Fall |
|
Exposure |
Full Sun to Part Shade |
|
Water |
Moderate |
|
Growth Rate |
Fast |
|
Hardiness |
0°F |
|
Notes: |
Attracts Hummingbirds |
Autumn Sage is native to Western Texas and parts of New Mexico and Southern Arizona. It is a small, evergreen shrub that grows to about 3 feet tall and wide. Its small, dark green leaves have a slightly sticky coating. Showy, 1 inch long flowers appear on 6-10 inch long spikes in the spring, summer and fall. Autumn Sage is available in a wide range of flower colors including red, pink, fuschia, purple, orange, yellow and white. The hot pink and the fuschia flowering varieties are the most heat tolerant. Its compact size, rich green leaves, long bloom period and profusion of hummingbird attracting flowers have made this little shrub a mainstay in many Southwestern gardens. Use Autumn Sage in container gardens, planters or as a border for landscape color.
Autumn Sage grows best when placed in full sun in the mid-elevation zones of Arizona including Tucson. Place it in light shade in the low elevations. Autumn Sage should be planted in a soil that has good drainage. It is susceptible to spittle bug. This is controlled by pruning off the infected stems and discarding them. Water established plants every four to six days in the summer; every seven to ten days in the winter. Autumn sage does benefit from pruning in mid-summer and late winter to remove any damaged stems and reivigorate the plant. Pruning in mid-summer can sometimes encourage a second flush of heavy bloom.
