| Salvia 'Celestial Blue' | |
| Hybrid: | S. clevelandii × S. pachyphylla, see text. |
| Cultivar: | 'Celestial Blue' |
| Origin: | California |
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). The hybrid parents are native to California.[1]
The plant is a perennial evergreen, with a rounded growth habit and a moderate growth rate. It can tolerate full sun and is adaptable to numerous soil conditions, and is cold hardy down to 15°F.[2]
The foliage smells of musk, and the large, pale violet to periwinkle blue flowers are attractive to bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. An extremely drought- and heat-tolerant plant, introduced by Las Pilitas, a California native plant nursery, in 1999. It is cultivated in gardens and public landscapes.