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Big sagebrush is a coarse, many-branched, pale-grey shrub with yellow flowers and silvery-grey foliage, which is generally 0.5–3 metres (1 + 1 ⁄ 2 –10 feet) tall. [3] A deep taproot 1–4 m (3 + 1 ⁄ 2 –13 ft) in length, coupled with laterally spreading roots near the surface, allows sagebrush to gather water from both surface precipitation and the water table several meters beneath.
It is semi-deciduous, depending on the location and severity of drought, shallow rooted, and drought tolerant by leaf curling rather than drought-avoiding through leaf drop. Black sage readily hybridizes with three other coastal scrub Salvias: Salvia apiana (Californian white sage), Salvia leucophylla (San Luis purple sage), and Salvia clevelandii.
The plant is a perennial evergreen, with a rounded growth habit and a moderate growth rate. It can tolerate full sun and is adaptable to numerous soil conditions, and is cold hardy down to 15°F. [2] The foliage smells of musk, and the large, pale violet to periwinkle blue flowers are attractive to bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
It is a crucial part of the community of coastal sage scrub habitat and is frequently widely utilized in restoration initiatives. When planted in full sun, it can reach heights and widths of roughly 4' and 4'. Once established, it may survive without additional water, but will appear happier when watered occasionally in the deep summer.
[citation needed] Some bulbs – such as tulips – need cold winters to bloom, while others – such as freesia – can survive a freezing winter. [citation needed] Many domestic plants are assigned a hardiness zone that specifies the climates in which they can survive. Winter gardens are dependent upon the cultivation of winter-hardy plants.
Russian sage has been praised for its usefulness in gardens and landscaping features. [78] It is most commonly planted as an accent feature, [ 59 ] such as an "island" in an expanse of lawn, [ 79 ] but it can also be used as filler within a larger landscaping feature, [ 65 ] or to enhance areas where the existing natural appearance is retained ...
Salvia (/ ˈ s æ l v i ə /) [3] is the largest genus of plants in the sage family Lamiaceae, with nearly 1,000 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. [4] [5] [6] Within the Lamiaceae, Salvia is part of the tribe Mentheae within the subfamily Nepetoideae. [4]
The blue flowers (rarely white), nearly 1 ⁄ 4 to 1 ⁄ 2 inch (6.4 to 12.7 mm) long, appear summer to autumn near the ends of their branched or unbranched spikes; their calyxes are tubular or bell-shaped and furry. Two varieties are known, Salvia azurea var. azurea (azure sage) and Salvia azurea var. grandiflora (Pitcher sage). [4] [5]