The Cleveland sage grows into medium size mounding shrub 3-5 ft. tall and 3-5 ft. wide. Foliage is comprised of pale-green leaves, 1-2 in. long and heavily wrinkled on the surface. Large numbers of colorful pure blue flowers occur in distinct whorls mid to late spring for a showy floral display. Both leaves and flowers are among the most pleasingly fragrant of the Salvias. This California native species comes from inland foothills and slopes from San Diego County to Baja California. It grows in the coastal sage and chaparral plant communities, in full sun, on slopes and in well-drained soils.
Horticultural interest in the Cleveland sage has led to the introduction of S. c. ‘Winifred Gilman’, a cultivar with delicate and intense blue flowers. It grows to the same size as the species and has proven to be easily adapted to Inland Empire gardens and landscapes that can be sustain with little summer water once established. Plant in sunny locations with good drainage; cover bare soil with decomposed granite or natural leaf litter.
