Dear Garden Coach: I recently attended a plant sale where I saw this plant in a very large container. Can you tell me what it is, and can I grow it in a container. It looked like a big salvia.
— J. Hastings, Concord
Dear J: The plant you are referring to is Lepechinia hastata, a rather large semi-evergreen shrub. However, Lepechinia, whose common name is pitcher sage, is not a true sage. It is in the same family as salvias, and has many of the same characteristics, such as a stiff upright square stem and resinous leaves that smell a bit like pine sap. The mauve tubular flowers have a lower lip that allows easy access for bees and hummingbirds.
Hawaii is home to Lepechinia, and while it might look tropical, it is one tough plant. It doesn’t mind poor, dry soil, though it likes afternoon shade in areas that are hot. Its aromatic leaves are an indicator that most insects and perhaps deer don’t like to eat it. It begins blooming in late summer, reaches a height of 4 to 5 feet by 2 to 3 feet and can withstand frost.
California has two species of Lepechinia, both spring bloomers that are also great garden specimens: Lepechinia fragrans, or Island Bush sage, is endemic to Southern California – meaning it is found exclusively in a particular area and is not naturally found anywhere else. It grows on the Channel Islands and the mountains of Southern California. It blooms in the spring and has showy purplish flowers. It likes sun to partial shade, and needs good drainage.
The other, Lepechinia calycina, is an evergreen shrub, with white digitalis-type blooms in the spring. It is also native to Southern California, but not endemic. It likes to grow in a woodland and chaparral habitat. As a garden specimen, it is great in a shady spot with other natives such as Heuchera or Ribes.
Lepechinia hastata is a late bloomer in our area; as other plants begin fading in August, Lepechinia starts putting on a great display of flowers that hummingbirds love. In my yard, I have it situated in a corner where my neighbor has a large Bottlebrush, Callistemon species — another hummingbird favorite for food and cover. Along with these plants, I have a pineapple sage, Salvia elegans, which comes into bloom even later in the season, giving means hummingbirds a constant supply of food during the year.
Maintaining Lepechina hastata is quite easy; it likes full sun to light shade and moderate-to-occasional water. It can be deadheaded during its bloom time to encourage more blooms, and as with other members of the Lamiaceae family, pruning back is not done until late winter or early spring since the older part of the plant will protect the newer growth that emerges at the base after frost.
Send your questions to thegardencoachBANG@gmail.com.
