Salvia apiana

White sage

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

White sage is a California native perennial found in southern coastal ranges, coastal southern California, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and western deserts in dry slopes, coastal-sage scrub, chaparral, and yellow-pine forest at elevations generally below 1,500 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces white and lavender flowers in few-flowered clusters arranged in interrupted, spike-like panicles. Growing 1 to 2 meters tall with a subshrub habit, it develops dense, woody stems that support aromatic foliage. Its leaves are widely lanceolate, 4 to 8 centimeters long, with tiny rounded teeth and a dense covering of minute, appressed hairs that give the plant a soft, silvery-green appearance. The fruit is small, shiny, and light brown, measuring 2.5 to 3 millimeters in length.

Habitat: dry slopes, coastal-sage scrub, chaparral, yellow-pine forest

Bloom period: Apr-Aug

Elevation: generally < 1500 m

Bioregions: s SCoRO, SCo, TR, PR, w edge D

California counties: Riverside, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura, Orange, Santa Barbara, Plumas, San Mateo, Imperial, Alameda, San Luis Obispo, Yolo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.