I believe that wood sage is Teucrium canadense. This American species is of wide distribution in eastern North America.

The USDA identifies it as Leucophyllum frutescens , but gives a common name of "Texas barometer bush". The Sunset Western Garden Book calls it "Texas sage".

Another type I forgot about are the pitcher sages - this one is Lepechinia fragrans ÂEl TigreÂ.

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Oh, those are absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for the wonderful pics!

I have a couple young Perovskias ('Blue Spire' & 'Little Spire'), and Artemisia californica (California sagebrush). I've tried Phlomis russeliana (it was possibly fruticosa), but the gophers got it before it bloomed. :(

I bought a plant that was (wrongly) labeled merely "curly-leaf sage", or somesuch. Turns out it's Teucrium x lucidrys (germander).

My mom has a young L. frutescens, so I hope it looks like the one in your pic some day! She also has a Lepechinia hastata, and the leaves have the most glorious scent! That's next on my "gimme" list. :D

Brenda

Remember;

All Salvias are sages but every Sage is not a Salvia.

I have Lepechinia hastata. I first saw it flowering in a nursery hoophouse a few years agao. I thought at first it was a salvia. It has deep burgundy flowers and seems to be hardy here in the PNW. It produces many seeds.

SG

Besides loving all of the salvias, I apparently love all of the pseudo-salvias also.
Add to the list...'Hedgehog Sage' /pycnostachys urticifolia.
Also known as 'Blue Witch's Hat'. Wonderful plant.
Love to see the pics of the leucophyllum frutescens...I'm today planting 5 of them. Can't wait until mine are that size!
Sherry

I have to admit I had never heard of Pycnostachys urticifolia before, which made me search it out. This photo from Annies Annuals convinced me I should try and germinate some of of these from seed this spring. Beautiful and interesting flower.

Pycnostachys urticifolia is fairly easy from seed. I am getting mine from Silverhill Seeds in South Africa along with a bunch of other mint family plants.

Though they are called collectively cockspur flowers, many Plectranthus have new world Salvia habits including behrii, fruticosus, ciliatus, zuluensis, ecklonii, haidensis, hilliardiae (including Mona Lisa), and saccatus. The flowers are upside down, with the hood on the bottom, like other members of the basil subfamily (including Pycnostachys and Orthosiphon).

Orthosiphon labiatus is often called pink sage in South Africa.

They're very easily done from cuttings also.
Sherry

I found out how easily they grow from cuttings when 2 large branches broke off at the base. Of course,I was just getting ready to leave the house for the day and had to stop and take cuttings...no way was I going to lose that many plants. I hadn't planned on taking cuttings just then, was busy propagating other things, but.......
Pycnostachys grows fast, tall and heavy. I'm making sure now to keep pinching / cutting back and make a sturdier base to support these tall branches so that I don't have the same problem with future plants.