Salvias -- especially Salvia clevelandii varieties

   It's hard to beat Salvia clevelandii and its many cultivars and hybrids as a native shrub for color and fragrance, and Salvia 'Pozo Blue' is no exception.  Thought to be a hybrid between Salvia clevelandii (Cleveland Sage) and Salvia leucophylla (Purple Sage), Salvia 'Pozo Blue' reaches about 5' tall and wide, is drought tolerant, and perfect for a mid-sized butterfly hedge.  Its blue-violet flowers put on quite a show for 6-8 weeks in early summer, when butterflies and hummingbirds work the blossoms.  After bloom, the aging bloom spikes still provide interest in the late summer garden, so many gardeners wait to deadhead until Fall. The silvery gray, evergreen foliage is aromatic year-round, providing a wonderful mixture of spicy and sweet fragrance when you near it. 

   Salvia 'Pozo Blue' does best in full sun, and looks more lush with a bit of deep watering during our inland summer heat.  It tolerates a variety of soil types from clay to sand, and is extremely frost hardy.  
   I use Salvia 'Pozo Blue' as a mid-sized background shrub in my designs, and in spots where I like seasonal privacy (keeping in mind that I cut mine down by 1/3rd or more each Fall).  It's also well placed 3-4' from a path, where visitors must brush the foliage when passing by, releasing a lovely aroma. (from Kelly Marshall 2010)

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