Black Sage is a native California beach sage that has highly aromatic pebbled leaves and pale blue flowers in late winter.  The plant is a sprawling brilliant green leaved bush that can cover 15 feet or more in diameter, and reaches only about three to four feet in height. It suffers from frost bite at about 12 degrees.

Highly aromatic and sticky, it has similar but lighter pom-poms than Cleveland Sage. Black Sage is one of the earliest blooming Salvias in the garden. It usually starts blooming in late January and continues for about six weeks. It never needs pruning or dividing. It can be pruned after flowering for shape.

 

 

This large imposing shrub flowers on long pencil thin stems. The pale blue pom-pom like flowers are just in time to complement the early spring blooming Orchid Rockrose above. However, Island Black Sage will start blooming before the rockrose and last at least a month beyond. It never needs pruning, is quite water thrifty and does well even when it isn't on an island or near the coast. Island Black Sage would make a great addition to any zone 8 or higher garden.