Blue sage
Salvia pachyphylla
Last reviewed: September 2026
Toxicity unknown
Blue sage (Salvia pachyphylla) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
12"–24" H × 24"–36" W
Bloom
Jul, Aug, Sep
Native to
AZ, CA, NV
Pollinators
bumble bees, hummingbirds
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 452 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaBrowse plants for this ecoregion
Blue sage is a compact, aromatic evergreen subshrub with gray-green leaves and dense whorled flower spikes surrounded by showy lavender-purple bracts. It grows on dry, rocky slopes at higher elevation.
Wildlife value
The flowers draw bumble bees and hummingbirds over a long summer bloom period, and the fragrant foliage deters browsing.
Common questions
- How much sun does Blue sage need?
- Blue sage grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Blue sage bloom?
- Blue sage blooms in July, August, and September.
- Where is Blue sage native?
- Blue sage (Salvia pachyphylla) is native to AZ, CA, NV, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
- What pollinators does Blue sage attract?
- Blue sage draws bumble bees and hummingbirds.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Blue sage? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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