Texas Sage Plant – Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas Ranger / Cenizo, Live Starter Shrub)

The Texas Sage plant (Leucophyllum frutescens), also known as Texas Ranger, cenizo, or barometer bush, is one of the toughest, most beautiful shrubs you can grow in a hot, dry spot. Its silvery-gray, velvety-soft foliage looks great year-round, and after summer and fall rains it erupts with bursts of purple, lavender, pink, and magenta blooms — a striking contrast against the shimmery leaves. Easy-care, drought-resistant, and practically maintenance-free, the Texas Sage plant is a xeriscape favorite that thrives where many other shrubs struggle.

Why Grow a Texas Sage Plant?

• Drought- & heat-tolerant – a true desert native that thrives on neglect and needs little to no supplemental water once established.
• Beautiful silver foliage & purple blooms – soft, silvery-gray leaves year-round, topped with vivid purple-to-pink flowers in warm-season bursts.
• “Barometer bush” – famously flowers in response to humidity and rain, putting on a fresh show after summer storms.
• Pollinator-friendly & deer-resistant – the blooms draw bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, while deer tend to leave it alone.
• Tough & low-maintenance – native, moderately salt-tolerant, and non-toxic to people and pets; perfect for low-water landscapes.

Designing a low-water or native landscape? Browse more in our Shrubs & Bushes and Outdoor Plants collections.

Plant Specifications at a Glance

• Botanical name: Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas sage, Texas ranger, cenizo, barometer bush, silverleaf, purple sage)
• Plant type: Evergreen to semi-evergreen, drought-tolerant flowering shrub (not a true sage)
• Plant family: Scrophulariaceae (the figwort family)
• Mature size: typically 5–8 feet tall and 4–6 feet wide (compact cultivars stay smaller)
• Foliage: Soft, silvery-gray, velvety leaves
• Flowers: Purple, lavender, pink, and magenta blooms in summer-to-fall bursts
• Wildlife: Attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; deer-resistant
• Cold Hardiness Zones: 8–11

Texas Sage Care & Growing Guide

The Texas Sage plant truly thrives on neglect. Follow these simple guidelines:

• Sunlight: Full sun. Plenty of direct light keeps it dense and flowering well; shade causes leggy growth and fewer blooms.
• Water: A water-conserving plant that only needs occasional watering. Avoid overwatering — too much moisture reduces blooms and can cause root rot.
• Soil: Well-draining alkaline soil is ideal. Excellent drainage is essential; avoid heavy, soggy soils.
• Cold Hardiness Zone: 8–11.
• Pruning: Prune in early spring to keep a rounded shape, reduce dense foliage, or rejuvenate older, straggly plants — it regenerates quickly. Note that it is semi-deciduous and may drop some foliage in the colder months. There’s no need to fertilize.

Ways to Use Texas Sage in the Landscape

• Informal hedges, screens, and windbreaks
• Mass plantings and foundation plantings
• Xeriscape, desert, and low-water gardens
• Specimen or accent shrub
• Large containers on patios and driveways

It pairs naturally with other tough, sun-loving plants. Gardeners often combine it with the drought-tolerant Bulbine Hallmark Orange, the purple-flowering Mexican Petunia (Purple Showers), or the native Wax Myrtle.

What You’ll Receive

These are live Texas Sage starter plants grown and shipped by Carlos Plant Farm. Plants are less than 12 inches tall when we ship them. The photos in this listing depict mature plants of the correct species so you can see how they will look as they grow and bloom. Choose your preferred plant bundle size using the options above.

Due to different state laws, we reserve the right to charge extra fees in order to comply with those laws if necessary.

Terms of the Sale

Please read the following terms of the sale completely. The customer agrees to all of the following when purchasing from Carlo’s Plant Farm:

• All sales are final. All orders are insured against damage or loss.
• The customer assumes all risk of loss or damage once USPS takes possession. If the order is damaged in any way during shipping, the customer agrees to file an insurance claim. Carlo’s Plant Farm agrees to assist the customer in filling out the form.
• Once your order is shipped, we offer no cancellation refund at all.
• We reserve the right to delay shipping due to extreme heat or cold.
• If you are unhappy with your order for any reason, you agree to contact us as soon as possible. The customer agrees not to publish a negative review before contacting us. If you post a negative review before contacting us, we will ask you to take down the review and remind you of this terms of sale agreement.

In purchasing from Carlo’s Plant Farm, the customer acknowledges, understands, and agrees with all the above terms of the sale.