Ornatec InternationalSpecies reference sheet ยท ornatecinternational.com
Leucophyllum frutescens
Texas Sage
The Leucophyllum frutescens, or Texas Sage, is a compact silver-grey shrub out of the Chihuahuan Desert, and it is among the most useful plants available for hot alkaline ground. Small felted leaves give the plant its pale colour, and every rise in humidity triggers a flush of bell-shaped magenta to lavender flowers, which is why it is also called the barometer bush.
It asks for sharp drainage, full sun and very little water, and it will refuse heavy irrigation outright, which makes it a natural fit for medians, verges and desert schemes.
Specifications
- Height1 to 2.5 metres
- Width1 to 2 metres
- Native toThe Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico and southern Texas
- FoliageSmall, oval, silvery-grey felted leaves held densely on fine stems; evergreen
- Growth rateSlow to moderate
Conditions
- SoilRequires sharply drained gravelly, sandy or alkaline soils; rots in heavy or over-irrigated ground
- LightFull sun
- WaterVery low; strongly drought-tolerant once established
- ClimateThrives in arid and semi-arid regions, including sites with heavy reflected heat
Additional Features
- FlowersFlushes of bell-shaped magenta to lavender flowers triggered by rising humidity or rainfall
- UsesIdeal for desert and xeric schemes, median and verge planting, low hedging and mass shrub beds
- SpacingPlant 1 to 1.5 metres apart for a continuous mass or low hedge
- Low MaintenanceNeeds almost nothing beyond an occasional light shear; do not overwater and do not over-fertilise
- Pest ResistanceGenerally trouble-free where drainage is sharp
- Drought ToleranceBuilt for extended drought and reflected heat, and better for being kept dry
- Salt ToleranceTolerates saline and strongly alkaline soils that defeat most flowering shrubs
Texas Sage is one of the few shrubs that will flower repeatedly on a hot alkaline median with almost no water reaching it.
Availability by project review. Sizes, quantities, origin and export readiness are confirmed after your plant schedule is reviewed against destination, timing and quarantine requirements. MEWA certified for supply into Saudi Arabia; Australian Export Registered Establishment.
Enquiries: sales@ornatecinternational.com
310 Donkin Rd, Utchee Creek QLD 4871, Australia
Prepared 09 September 2026