Is This Texas Sage ?

[greysrigging]

Local gardeners ( Darwin, Northern Territory of Australia ) think this is Texas Sage.  Beautifull flowering shrub in our climate. 
ID confirmation ?

[Xerarch]

Sure looks like it to me

[Silas_Sancona]

^ x2 ..Leucophyllum.. probably frutescens ( largest- sized species )" Green " or " Silver " Cloud ( ...unless other varieties / sp. are allowed to be sold there in Aus. )  Will re-flower in cycles each time there's a spike in humidity levels.  Supposedly fairly easy to start from cuttings ( newer, semi-ripe, non- flowering growth )

[amh]

Looks like it. 

Fast growing from seed, but I haven't attempted cuttings. They love aggressive pruning.

[Manalto]

8 hours ago, amh said:

Looks like it. 

Fast growing from seed, but I haven't attempted cuttings. They love aggressive pruning.

An old-timer in the RGV of South Texas told me many of these plants adapted to tolerate browsing by animals. Maybe that's the explanation for its fondness for pruning?

[amh]

51 minutes ago, Manalto said:

An old-timer in the RGV of South Texas told me many of these plants adapted to tolerate browsing by animals. Maybe that's the explanation for its fondness for pruning?

Its possible, but I haven't noticed any predation, the deer wont browse the plants, but the bucks will fight the plants during the rut. 

I've noticed that the Texas sage come back thicker, fuller and stronger after aggressive pruning. They will grow fairly tall, even when heavily pruned. I've seen quite a few that were over 8FT.

Great privacy hedge for sunny locations and possible candidate for topiary.

Edited December 9, 2021 by amh

[Manalto]

7 hours ago, amh said:

Its possible, but I haven't noticed any predation, the deer wont browse the plants, but the bucks will fight the plants during the rut. 

 

I think he may have meant that the plants evolved to tolerate browsing. If that's the case, those animals may be long gone.

Topiary - what a great idea! I'd love to see that.

Edited December 9, 2021 by Manalto

[Silas_Sancona]

@greysrigging

If they're available in Aus. Might look for some of the following varieties..  Stay shorter than the big varieties..

Leucophyllum langmaniae X Lynn's Legacy..  "Rio Bravo"  is another, similar looking var. sometimes lumped w/ this great Tx. Sage.. Lynn's is the better of the two.


Possibly,  L.  candidum Thundercloud.. L. zygophyllum Cimerron looks similar / grows to about the same height ( 4-6 ft ) ..and has similar looking foliage / flower color.


..Not 100% on this one.. but also stays in the 3-6ft height range.
.

Light, occasional trimming to keep shapely, that otherwise maintains the natural look, is always better than turning these, -or any bushy plant- into geometrical shapes.  = X's 10 kind of landscape / Landscaper w/ too much time on their hands.

[amh]

1 hour ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Light, occasional trimming to keep shapely, that otherwise maintains the natural look, is always better than turning these, -or any bushy plant- into geometrical shapes.  = X's 10 kind of landscape / Landscaper w/ too much time on their hands.

I usually agree with this sentiment, but this is one of the few plants that look great manicured.

2 hours ago, Manalto said:

I think he may have meant that the plants evolved to tolerate browsing. If that's the case, those animals may be long gone.

Topiary - what a great idea! I'd love to see that.

I don't have a strong opinion on the validity of this for the same reasons. I don't see deer or cows browsing the plants, but my observations are limited to the present and the native fauna have changed in recent history as well in prehistory. 

[Silas_Sancona]

52 minutes ago, amh said:

I usually agree with this sentiment, but this is one of the few plants that look great manicured.

 

THAT  looks good?  ....   






Like Lawns, 20+ colorful phrases i can't repeat here best describes this wayy out dated, 1950's era plant related atrocity..  Rip 'em out and start over ..and never allow the geometric- shaper landscapers to touch 'em. ( Taze them if they try.. ) Brutally honest, always

[amh]

1 hour ago, Silas_Sancona said:

THAT  looks good?  ....   






Like Lawns, 20+ colorful phrases i can't repeat here best describes this wayy out dated, 1950's era plant related atrocity..  Rip 'em out and start over ..and never allow the geometric- shaper landscapers to touch 'em. ( Taze them if they try.. ) Brutally honest, always

Manicured: adjective: neatly cut or trimmed.

I don't know what this godforsaken monstrosity could be called.

[Manalto]

27 minutes ago, amh said:

Manicured: adjective: neatly cut or trimmed.

I don't know what this godforsaken monstrosity could be called.

Not manicured, dismembered.

[Xerarch]

Notice greysrigging's initial question has been well answered, and he seems uninterested in the side topics this post has spurred. Perhaps turning Texas Sage into gumdrop and soda can shapes isn't a thing in Darwin.  I hope it isn't

[greysrigging]

2 hours ago, Xerarch said:

Notice greysrigging's initial question has been well answered, and he seems uninterested in the side topics this post has spurred. Perhaps turning Texas Sage into gumdrop and soda can shapes isn't a thing in Darwin.  I hope it isn't

I've been given some cuttings ( courstesy of our local plant swap group ). Locals here say it strikes easily from cuttings in our climate. Seems to be a very nice flowering bushy shrub. Not heard of anyone pruning into shape as shown above.
Our local box store, Bunnings,  sells them as 'Lavender Lights' or some such name  ( rolls eyes ).
The plant loves our wet season rain.

[Manalto]

My point about the browsing was that, if it did indeed evolve in a browsing environment, then trimming could be considered within the range of its natural form. I practice this on azaleas in my part of the world, some minimal nipping back the rangy growth that mimics the munching of an animal (in my imagination, at least) to keep them dense and cloudlike. They don't look like the Trylon and Perrisphere; they merely stay well-behaved, fat and happy.

Edited December 10, 2021 by Manalto