Shrub
Green Cloud Texas Sage
Leucophyllum frutescens 'Green Cloud' · Scrophulariaceae
Also called: Green Cloud Cenizo, Green Cloud Texas Ranger
Green Cloud Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens 'Green Cloud') is a very low-water shrub well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun.
Green Cloud Texas Sage at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun (needed for dense form and best bloom); tolerates reflected heat.
- Mature size
- 6-8 ft H x 6-8 ft W (larger and more robust than the species; rounded evergreen shrub).
- Growth rate
- Moderate to fast (vigorous cultivar).
- Bloom
- Deep magenta to rosy-purple flowers contrasting with greener (not silvery) foliage., Summer into fall, blooming in flushes after monsoon rains and humidity.
- Cold hardiness
- Cold hardy to about 5-10 F; USDA zones 8-11. Fully hardy in Tucson.
- Soil
- Requires excellent drainage; thrives in poor, rocky, alkaline native soils. Intolerant of soggy or overly rich soils.
- Native range
- Cultivar of a Chihuahuan Desert species (Texas and northern Mexico); not native to the Sonoran Desert / Arizona but widely planted in Tucson.
- Best used as
- Informal hedge or large screen, Mass planting, Xeriscape and median plantings, Pollinator garden, Background shrub
- Wildlife
- Flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; provides bird cover.
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic to people and pets.
How to grow Green Cloud Texas Sage in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Very drought tolerant once established; deep, infrequent watering only. Overwatering causes root rot and legginess. Minimal supplemental irrigation needed in Tucson.
Fertilizer & nutrients
No fertilizer needed; lean soil yields the best, most compact growth and flowering.
Pruning & care
Do not shear into formal shapes; prune selectively in late winter/early spring to maintain natural form and avoid woody, hollow centers. Light thinning rejuvenates older plants.
Notes
Popular cultivar selected for greener (chartreuse-green) foliage rather than the species' silvery-gray, plus larger size, denser habit, and rich magenta blooms. Same care as the species. Distinguish from other cultivars such as 'White Cloud' (white flowers, silver foliage), 'Compacta', and the Leucophyllum langmaniae cultivars (e.g., 'Rio Bravo'). Not a Sonoran Desert native.
Sources: AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; Mountain States Wholesale Nursery (cultivar origin)