Other Names:  Texas Ranger, Silverleaf, Cenizo

Description:

A dense, mounded shrub with bright silver-gray foliage; showy hot pink flowers in mid-summer; water regularly until established, good for dry, hot, rocky sites; must have well drained, alkaline soil; prune lightly to maintain fullness; must have full sun

Ornamental Features

Silver Star Texas Sage features showy clusters of hot pink trumpet-shaped flowers with white throats at the ends of the branches from early summer to early fall. It has attractive grayish green foliage with white undersides and tinges of silver. The fuzzy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain grayish green throughout the winter. The smooth gray bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Silver Star Texas Sage is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Silver Star Texas Sage is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Silver Star Texas Sage will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for poor, alkaline soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.

Silver Star Texas Sage makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.