Salvia 'Celestial Blue' (also known as celestial blue sage or Las Pilitas sage), is a hybrid cross between Salvia clevelandii (Cleveland sage or chaparral sage) and S. pachyphylla (Rose's sage or mountain desert sage), and possibly involving Salvia 'Pozo Blue' — which is itself a cross between S. clevelandii and S. leucophylla (purple sage). It is native to California.

The foliage smells of musk, and the large, pale violet to periwinkle blue flowers are attractive to bees, hummingbird

Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...

s, and butterflies

Butterfly

A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...

. An extremely drought- and heat-tolerant plant

Xerophyte

A xerophyte or xerophytic organism is a plant which has adapted to survive in an environment that lacks water, such as a desert. Xerophytic plants may have adapted shapes and forms or internal functions that reduce their water loss or store water during long periods of dryness...

, introduced by Las Pilitas, a California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

n native plant

Wildflower

A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...

nursery, in 1999. It is cultivated in gardens and public landscapes.

External links

• Las Pilitas website