Big news from the City of Lakewood came in this week: the city council adopted a Plant Select® recommended perennial, Mojave Sage (Salvia pachyphylla) to be their official “city plant.” According to the community’s horticulturist (and Plant Select® champion!), Greg Foreman, Mojave sage will be promoted throughout the city to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the City of Lakewood.
I’ve grown Mojave sage for nearly 10 years in my home garden in Masonville, and am thrilled with the way it performs for me in poor, very dry soils. I think I now have over a dozen plants in a variety of situations, and they’ve bloomed longer this year than ever before (must have been the cooler weather.) In fact, I cut back my oldest, biggest one fairly severely in May, and it’s lush and full right now and just coming into full color, even thought the others are starting to finally fade a bit. You can read more about Mojave sage on our website here.
Congratulations to Greg for his hard work in promoting this wonderful plant, and a big kudos to the City of Lakwood for recognizing the value of sustainable beauty in their community. (I actually like Greg’s phrase even better: “responsible and adventuresome gardening “- isn’t that a great way to describe what many of us are doing?)
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I live in Fort collins and have two Mojave sage plants that are dogn well after three seasons. Howver, several others did not fare so well. Seems no garden cneters here cary them anymore due to beng unreliable. Do you still promote this shrub. ? If so, where can I get them. I will try again with a few more,. I do like them.
Yes, we still promote this beautiful shrub, but the reason it was in short supply this year was because the growers were unable to get a dependable seed supply. My understanding is that seed is once again available, and plants should be in slightly better supply next summer. It appears to be very sensitive to water, so the “happiest” plants seem to be growing in sandy, or very-well-drained soils. In nature this plant grows in gravelly, sandy soils where there is little winter moisture. Last winter was very wet, so some of yours may have succumbed to winter “wet feet.” Cold hardiness for Fort Collins does not appear to be a factor. I live in Masonville and have about 7 plants, and all survived the -21 degrees F we hit last fall/winter.