Lepechinia hastata - Pitcher Sage

Give the dry garden a thrilling flash of tropical exuberance with Lepechinia hastata! Known as Baja or Mexican pitcher sage, this bold aromatic shrub unfurls large, soft, arrow-shaped leaves and sends up long, saturated spikes of brilliant magenta-pink flowers from summer into early fall. The foliage brings lush texture, the blooms supply electric color, and hummingbirds animate the whole display. It is a marvelous contradiction: luxuriant and dramatic in appearance, yet beautifully at home in a low-water, sun-drenched landscape.

Evergreen to semi-evergreen in mild climates, pitcher sage typically grows 4–6 feet tall and gradually expands by underground stems. Use it as a voluptuous background plant, an informal screen, or a commanding focal point among silver foliage, sculptural succulents, grasses, and other summer-dry shrubs. Its generous proportions and vivid bloom color are especially effective where the garden needs height, rhythm, and a little joyful wildness.

Plant in full sun near the coast or part sun inland, always in fast-draining soil. Provide regular water while the roots establish, then reduce to low water. Give it room for its mature spread, and prune selectively after flowering if you would like to shape or contain the plant.

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