Common Name:
Cherry sage
Plant Type:
Evergreen shrub
Family:
Lamiaceae (The Mint Family)
Geographic Origin:
Mexico
California Native?:
No

Plant Size:
2 feet high by 6 feet wide
Landscape/Garden Uses:
Mixed plantings
Flowering Season:
Spring to fall

Flower Color:
Bright pink
Exposure:
Sun or light shade
Soils:
Most soils

Suggested Irrigation:
Moderate to occasional watering
Estimated Hardiness:
Hardy to 15-20 degrees F.

This species, which is found from southern Arizona to southern Mexico, is extremely variable. It is a profusely branched shrub with slender young stems and usually small, flat, green leaves, larger than those of S. greggii. The flowers are of variable size, up to perhaps one inch long and broad, much like those of S. greggii in form, and borne most of the year in loose clusters at the shoot tips. This selection displays cheery bright pink flowers from spring to fall in moderately watered gardens. The advantage of planting S. microphylla (or disadvantage in small spaces) is that the plants tend to spread by underground stems to form a large patch over time.