MBN 1Gal Salvia apiana 15875

This is mostly a foliage plant, forming an upswept ball to about 2' tall composed of large, dramatic, velvety white leaves that glow in moonlight and are fabulously fragrant when you brush past them. But it can also be pretty spectacular at peak of bloom, with its big, robust flower stalks reaching up over your head. The flowers themselves range from silvery white through pale lavender and blush pink. This is one tough customer. It can go completely dry in summer, just dry leaves, but revives quickly with rain. Give it a little summer water during the cooler spells and you can minimize problems with rot and still preserve those wonderful white leaves through the summer dry season. California Indians really liked it, hummingbirds really like it, heck everyone seems to like it nowadays, though I can't remember it being popular until very recently. The foliage smells like incense when burned, so this reportedly gets rid of evil spirits in new homes, plus freshens the air at the same time! Would it be too much to ask it to kill fleas at the same time? Throw some of its foliage, or that of some of the other native species, into your campfire to keep mosquitos away. Full to half sun, average to good drainage. Hot and dry, or cold and wet, but not hot and wet. Sunset zones 7-24/USDA zone 9 (8?). Southern California.