- Author: Diana Bryggman
That first strange September rain that came to Solano County brought with it a wonderful surprise to my garden. Suddenly there were lavender flowers on the dull, pale grey shrub I had bought last May at the Solano College Horticulture Club Plant Sale. It had no label but it looked like a real survivor and possibly a sage relative, so I took a chance on it. Plunked it down into the dry hillside with salvias, ceanothus, agaves, grevilleas, and some interesting miniature euryops that have quadrupled in size.
My hillside is a deer-resistant forest in the making, and this grey plant looked like it could hold its own against the antler crowd. It has proven itself admirably in that regard, and seems to appreciate the lack of care I lavish on it. When it flowered, I decided I would try to identify it. My brother had asked for my help in identifying a similar-looking plant in his Arizona garden, which we eventually decided was some kind of Leucophyllum. The rain very kindly brought out the lavender-pink flowers that provided a strong clue to my mystery plant's genus.
Many sources will refer to Leucophyllum frutescens as “Barometer Bush”, since it is said to bloom with the rise in humidity just before a rainstorm. I did not notice if mine bloomed just before the rainstorm or after, but it did indeed bloom with that rain and the next. This plant has loads of common names: Texas Ranger, Texas Sage, Cenizo and Silverleaf, to name a few. Further evidence of the importance of botanical names!
Mary Irish' Trees and Shrubs for the Southwest describes Leucophyllum frutescens as “one of the most commonly used and widely revered woody shrubs in southwestern gardens.” It prefers to be dry and is happiest in poorer soil. No need for soil amendments for this tough guy. With our continuing draught, it seems that it could become a star in California gardens as well.