Water-Wise Gardening

California-Friendly Plant: The Texas Ranger

The Texas Ranger (leucophyllum) goes by many names: purple sage, Texas sage, silverleaf, white sage, ash bush and barometer bush. But despite its many sage-related names, Texas sage is not related to sage plants at all. Leucophyllum are native to Texas and Mexico, and are best known for their ability to predict the rain. High humidity sends a blanket of purple flowers over the plant, telling you when it will rain, or giving you a welcome sight once the rains stop.

Texas Ranger thrives in desert heat and lowquality, sandy soil. Well-drained soil is important to the plant, and it does best when it is not pruned, as that can reduce flowering. Use Texas Ranger as a hedge or on its own as a shrub. Give the plant a good drink every few weeks in the summer, otherwise, let the rains do the watering and watch the flowers bloom.