Desert lavender is a tough woody shrub that is native to desert habitats throughout the Southwest and Baja California. It grows best along seasonal washes where it benefits from seasonal rainfall and runoff; it sheds leaves and becomes sparse during hot and dry summer conditions. When the desert lavender is grown in gardens and landscapes, it can reach 10-12 ft. tall and as wide, providing attractive gray-green aromatic foliage color throughout the year. Clusters of purple-blue flowers occur in spring for a pleasing display of color.

Desert lavender is well suited as a background plant in Southwestern style gardens in combination with palo verde trees, desert encelia, chuparosa and Texas rangers. It adds to the wildlife value of such plantings as well as harmonizes with other plants with pale green foliage color. It can be pruned to grow as a small tree or accent shrub with an attractive branching habit.