perennial
Mexican bush sage
Salvia leucantha
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Salvia leucantha is a fast-growing semi-evergreen perennial for gardens in zones 8–11. Expect 3–4 ft of height and 3–4 ft of spread; our lists space it 3 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part sun with little water once established. Expect purple flowers in August to November. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the filler role: a flowering plant that fills the middle or front of the bed. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Salvia leucantha
- Plant type
- Perennial, semi evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 8 to 11
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Well-drained soil.
- Mature size
- 3–4 ft tall × 3–4 ft wide
- Spacing
- 3 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Aug–Nov · purple
- Roles in a bed
- Filler
- Styles
- low water, cottage, modern
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Salvias are not on the ASPCA toxic list.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $12–$20 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer until roots establish, then only during long dry spells.
- Pruning
- Cut to the ground in late winter; regrows fast.
Sources: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List (from general knowledge; not re-checked unless verification is web-checked); Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder and grower tags; State extension service guidance and USDA PLANTS distribution maps; Rutgers NJAES Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States and state noxious weed lists; Typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box retail listings (estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 8
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
- Deer-resistant plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 9
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9, Southwest (as a substitute)
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9, Florida
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Mexican bush sage, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Pink muhly grassMuhlenbergia capillarisornamental grass · zones 6–11
- Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'perennial · zones 7–10
- Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'Salvia rosmarinus 'Tuscan Blue'shrub · zones 8–11
- Lily of the NileAgapanthus africanusperennial · zones 9–10
- Indian hawthornRhaphiolepis indicashrub · zones 8–11
- Autumn sageSalvia greggiishrub · zones 7–11
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Mexican bush sage: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
- Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'zones 7–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Turk's capMalvaviscus arboreus var. drummondiizones 8–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- African irisDietes iridioideszones 8–11 · flagged toxic to pets
- Wild bergamotMonarda fistulosazones 3–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants