Salvia leucantha

Common Name:
Mexican Sage

Description:
Salvia leucantha, commonly known as Mexican Sage, is a stunning ornamental perennial valued for its velvety purple flower spikes, silver-green foliage, and long flowering season. Native to Mexico and Central America, this salvia is a standout in any garden, producing tall, arching stems lined with fuzzy, tubular flowers from late summer through to late autumn — and often well into winter in Melbourne’s milder pockets. The foliage is aromatic, narrow, and lance-shaped, creating a soft-textured mound that contrasts beautifully with the richly coloured blooms. Mexican Sage thrives in sunny, well-drained positions and is both drought- and light frost-tolerant once established. It’s a magnet for bees, butterflies, and nectar-feeding birds, making it a top choice for wildlife-friendly gardens. Best cut back hard in late winter to encourage fresh new growth in spring, it suits cottage, Mediterranean, native, and low-maintenance planting schemes alike.

Form:
*Shrub – Medium
*Shrub – Clumping / Grass-like / Mounding

Mature Size:
*Height: 1–1.2 metres
*Width: 1–1.5 metres

Aspect:
*Full Sun
*Part Shade

Flowering:
*Flowers in Late Summer
*Flowers in Autumn
*Flowers in Winter (mild climates)

Flower Colour:
*Purple (calyces)
*White or pale lavender (corollas)

Key Attributes:
*Suitable for Pots
*Drought Tolerant
*Frost Tolerant (light)
*Perennial
*Bee Attracting
*Bird Attracting
*Low Maintenance
*Long Flowering Season
*Suitable for Borders
*Suitable for Cottage and Mediterranean Gardens
*Herbaceous

Toxicity:
*Non-toxic to humans
*Non-toxic to pets

Companion Plants:
*Gaura lindheimeri
*Lavandula angustifolia
*Rudbeckia hirta
*Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’
*Salvia ‘Mystic Spires’