Leucophyllum is a unique Southwestern plant, not quite like any other on earth. It’s related to the pretty little garden snapdragons – but it’s a woody shrub!  Gardening in the Southwest is unique in many ways., and tops on the list are plants you don’t find anywhere else on earth. Like the lovely Leucophyllum – a shrubby member of the Snapdragon Family.

About the Name

There are more common names for Leucophyllum than you can shake a stick at. Some of the more common common names are: rain sage, Texas sage, Texas rain sage, Texas ranger, Chihuahuan rain sage, blue ranger, cenizo, Texas silverleaf, ash-bush, wild lilac, purple sage, senisa, cenicilla, palo cenizo, and hierba del cenizo. Although “sage,” appears in the common name it is not even in the same plant family as true sage (Salvia), a member of the Mint Family. About using sage on Savor the Southwest.

Leucophyllum is a great name for the plants because it describes them so well. Leuco- (loo-co) comes from Greek, meaning white, and phyllum (fi-lum) is the Latin word for leaf. Leucophyllum have white (ish) leaves!

Grows in The Southwest Climate

Leucophyllum are native to dry, rocky, and calcareous (calcium, limestone and caliche-ridden) areas of the Chihuahuan Desert in the states of Texas, USA and Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas in Mexico. Since they come from dry areas, these shrubs are well adapted to low-water landscapes.

Good in Landscapes

Leucophyllum grow quickly, tolerate the abuse of shearing, and survive in reflected light conditions (like near a pool). The silvery foliage looks good in a Moon Garden.

Leucophyllum tolerate shearing, but that doesn’t mean that you should shear them. If not overly sheared, Leucophyllum will bloom in the warm months of summer and provide food for a number of pollinators.

Sadly, so many people think that plants should be round balls, or worse, square boxes. Left to grow naturally, Leucophyllum have a naturally rounded form, but an open nature that allows birds to fly in and rest, and possibly nest in these tall shrubs. Sheared plants develop an impenetrable mat of tangled twigs at the edges of the sheared site and become entirely inhospitable to birds.

Loads of Leucophyllum 

Originally there were seven species, now fifteen are recognized. But wait – there’s more!  The plant breeders have been busy! They selected for brighter colored flowers, more compact forms, and more intense leaf colors, more heat tolerance, more frost tolerance – you name it. There are so many varieties to choose from!

All Leucophyllum are evergreen, but that doesn’t mean they are green in color. Foliage ranges in shade from silvery, almost white, to silvery-blue, to blue-green. Heights and degree of bushyness also vary, from 8-10 foot monster shrubs to compact 1 foot mini-shrubs that fit well under windows.

Flowers of this lovely shrub generally are in the purple end of the spectrum, from deep violet, to purple, mauve, heliotrope, plum, lilac, amethyst, and ranging into shades of pinkish-purple.

Wildlife & Leucophyllum

Leucophyllum frutescens, the species first brought into widespread cultivation in the Southwest, is a host plant for the caterpillars of the Theona Checkerspot (Chlosyne theona) and Calleta Silkmoth (Eupackardia calleta). A wide array of other adult butterflies use the flowers as a nectar source.

Flowers of Leucophyllum often appear after a rain, often in great profusion. Along with butterflies, other insects using them as a nectar source include bees, bee mimics such as the hoverfly, skippers, and an occasional hungry hummingbird.

As with any rich food source, predators will show up to consume the pollinators, including preying mantis, various crab spiders that lurk in flowers, and insectivorous birds that swoop in for a meal. A hedge of Leucophyllum in flower can swarm with life, even here in the desert Southwest.

Allergic to Bees?

If you are concerned about planting a shrub that attracts bees, consider another “white leaf” shrub, the woolly butterfly bush (Buddleja marrubifolia). I suggested it as a plant in my article on Moon Garden Plants.

Love Your Leucophyllum

Before you plant a Leucophyllum, check the label to see what it’s mature size will be! If it’s going to be 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide – do NOT plant it one foot away from the mailbox! When it comes to plants, mature size matters! I have some videos on this topic (Proper Plant Placement) on my YouTube channel.

If you do plant the lovely Leucophyllum, let it grow into a boisterous, happy shrub. I beg you to not shear it into an un-natural shape. When it gets too big or too boisterous, Leucophyllum will tolerate a rejuvenation pruning. The rejuvenation means cutting them back to about a foot tall, then letting them regrow.

Rejuvenation pruning is for once every five years or so – NOT every year. In early spring, not in the heat of summer. And yes, some extra water will help them recover from this drastic pruning.

Love your Leucophylum and let them grow and bloom, and feed the hungry natives (yes, even people) of our desert land.

Thanks for reading!

Jacqueline

More Pollinator Tips – every month!

The Month By Month Guide offers tips for all of your landscape plants (yes even lawns and roses) in every month of the year.  I have a few copies left and am offering them to you – my loyal readers. When you buy from me you get a signed copy!

From the review:

“A great reference book is key to successful gardening in the region where you live. Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico Month-by-Month Gardening takes the guesswork out of gardening for anyone residing in the Southwest. With this book, you’ll know what to do each month to enjoy a thriving garden all year, from January to December. Chronologically organized, this guide is full of critical gardening when-to and how-to advice, along with illustrated step-by-step instructions.

The book’s author is Jacqueline Soule, a Tucson-based gardening expert. She knows this arid region inside and out, and she’s written several articles and books packed with her gardening advice. Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico Month-by-Month Gardening showcases Soule’s expertise in one easy-to-read guide.”

Profits from the sale of this book go to the Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute. 

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