"Salvia apiana (White sage, bee sage, or sacred sage in English, qaashil to the Luiseno, shlhtaay or pilhtaay to the Kumeyaay, kasiile to the Tongva, we'wey to the Chumash, qas'ily to the Cahuilla, shaltai to the Paipai, lhtaay to the Cochimi) is an evergreen perennial shrub that is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, found mainly in the coastal sage scrub habitat of Southern California and Baja California, on the western edges of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.

S. apiana is a shrub that reaches 4.3 to 4.9 ft tall and 4.3 ft wide. The whitish evergreen leaves have oils and resins that release a strong aroma when rubbed. The flowers are very attractive to bees, which is described by the specific epithet, apiana. Several 3.3 to 4.3 ft flower stalks, sometimes pinkish colored, grow above the foliage in the spring. Flowers are white to pale lavender.

White sage is a common plant that requires well-drained dry soil, full sun, and little water. The plant occurs on dry slopes in coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and yellow-pine forests of Southern California to Baja California at less than 4,900 ft elevation.

S. apiana prefers a sunny location, well draining soil, and good air circulation. It easily hybridizes with other Salvia species, particularly Salvia leucophylla and Salvia clevelandii.

Bumblebees, hawk moths, and wasps pollinate white sage, and hummingbirds also appear to like the plant."

Taken from wikipedia's page at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S...

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This plant, found in northern Baja California (among other areas), is being removed from habitat in vast quantities and sold for its supposed health benefits, some of which involve burning the leaves. The vast majority of white salvia on the market here is obtained illegally, and its extraction causes massive and lasting harm to habitat.

Salvia blanca can be grown in cultivation without much trouble in its native climate, and the few people who have invested into this mode of production deserve support. Shun any seller who cannot say in some reasonably verifiable way that their product came from cultivated plants.

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White Sage grows natively in the Black Hills, and is very invasive. We have to keep on top of it in our gardens (as well as the dill), otherwise it will spread to the point of being a real chore to get rid of.

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White sage is one of the plants I have to grow in a pot indoors to get it through the winter in Zone 4b. I keep it pruned way back (harvesting the leaves helps with that) and it seems to do well -- as long as it never sits with "wet feet!"

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This plant is suitable for dry conditions, especially where winters are dry. Stems can turn black and die if the plant is too wet. The entire plant is very likely to die if wet conditions are prolonged. In areas with summer humidity, White Sage is not likely to be successful.

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