Love those Sages
Texas Rangers
It is hard to imagine a xeriscape without Texas Rangers. These tough desert-adapted shrubs provide the backbone for many desert gardens. Mostly evergreen, clean, and hard to kill, they are indispensable to anyone designing a colorful, low-maintenance landscape. These plants absolutely thrive in the hot, muggy monsoon season, when the rest of us are wilting.
In fact, they are sometimes called barometer plants, since their spectacular flower displays coincide with periods of high humidity. You might also hear them referred to as "Texas Sage," although they are not a true sage. Texas Rangers are actually related to penstemons and snap-dragons, and are native to Texas and Mexico. Plant Texas Rangers in full sun and reflected heat locations. The hotter it gets, the better they like it!
These adaptable beauties are also very cold tolerant, down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. They prefer well-drained soils, and will rot out if overwatered. Too much shade, water, or fertilizer can cause plants to become leggy. If you plant them in full sun, and allow ample room for growth, very little pruning should be required. If you must prune them, do so in the spring, since the summer heat will produce a flush of new growth. Avoid pruning them into gumdrops or tabletops! Not only does this destroy their lovely natural form, it removes all of the flower buds.
ust let them do their thing, and you'll be rewarded with masses of fragrant flowers. Fifteen years ago, there was only one lonely selection of Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens) available in the nursery trade. Today, thanks to the research efforts of Benny Simpson of Texas A&M University, as well as other horticulturists, we have a host of clones to choose from. Read on to select the best ones for your garden!
Silver and Grey-Leafed Selections
Leucophyllum
candidum Silver Cloud™ A trademark of Texas A&M, this selection has tiny
silver leaves and deep violet flowers. It grows to 4½ feet tall and wide. This
selection is almost identical in appearance to Thunder Cloud™, but is larger,
and does not bloom as profusely. The L. candidum varieties are especially
susceptible to over-watering, so plant in a well-drained soil!
Leucophyllum
candidum Thunder Cloud™ Proof that good things come in small packages, Thunder
Cloud™ is one of the most popular Texas Rangers. It has a tight, compact form
with stiff branches, growing slowly to only 3 feet tall and wide. Its
silver-white foliage provides a stunning backdrop for the deep purple flowers.
Thunder Cloud™ blooms repeatedly during the summer and fall, making it one of
the most floriferous selections on the market. It is also the most likely to rot
out if over-watered, so be judicious with your irrigation. It is trademarked by
Texas A & M University.
Leucophyllum zygophyllum Cimarron™ 
Another petite
choice, Cimarron™ tops out at about 3 feet tall and wide. It has a softer
silhouette than Thunder Cloud™, grey-green foliage, and blue flowers. This
species is sometimes called Blue Ranger. The distinctive cupped leaves easily
identify this clone. It seems less likely to rot out than the Thunder Cloud™.
Cimarron™ is trademarked by Mountain States Wholesale Nursery.
Leucophyllum x
Rain Cloud™ Trademarked by Texas A&M, this is a hybrid between
Leucophyllum minus and Leucophyllum frutescens. This selection has an unusual
vertical growth habit, growing to 6 feet tall by 3-4 feet wide. It has silver-grey
foliage and violet-blue flowers.
Leucophyllum frutescens 'Compacta' Although
this is one of the oldest Leucophyllum selections, it is still a favorite. Its
dense, rounded form requires little or no pruning, and its mature size of 5 feet
tall and wide is still small enough to warrant a space in most residential
gardens. 'Compacta' has grey-silver foliage and produces oodles of pink flowers
when the humidity rises. It tolerates more water and heavier soils than the
other selections.
Leucophyllum pruinosum Sierra Bouquet™ Sierra Bouquet™ has
the most fragrant flowers of
all the Texas Rangers. If you plant a cluster of
these shrubs in your garden, the air will be perfumed with the scent of grape
bubble gum whenever they burst into bloom. Its larger stature, to 6 feet tall
and wide, makes it an ideal backdrop for some of the smaller selections. Open
and sprawling in form, the Sierra Bouquet™ is a good choice for more natural
desert landscapes. Violet blossoms enhance the silver-grey foliage. Sierra
Bouquet™ is a trademark of Mountain States Wholesale Nursery.
Leucophyllum
frutescens White Cloud™ The large white flowers of this clone provide a
cooling contrast when mixed in with purple or pink-flowering Texas Rangers.
Another good background shrub, White Cloud™ has a somewhat rangy growth form
to 6-8 feet tall and wide. Its grey foliage allows it to blend in well with
Sonoran desert natives.
Green-Leafed Selections
Leucophyllum laevigatum...Chihuahuan
Sage Chihuahuan Sage has an informal, relaxed growth habit. Its loose, spiky
form and small olive-green leaves blend in well with our Arizona natives.
Periodically throughout the summer and fall they explode with fragrant lavender
flowers. They are a reasonable size for most gardens, growing to about 4 feet
tall by 5 feet wide.
Leucophyllum langmaniae 'Lynn's Legacy' This selection of
Texas sage was collected by Lynn
Lowrey, a very special plantsman from east
Texas. Lynn, who passed away in 1997, is a legend among botanists and plant
collectors. With his usual discerning eye, Lynn picked out this clone for its
profuse and frequent flower displays. 'Lynn's Legacy' grows slowly to about 5
feet tall and wide, with a dense, rounded form. Its sage green foliage is a
wonderful backdrop for the lavender flowers. Compared to most selections of
Texas sage, this clone is not as dependent on changes in relative humidity for
flowering. This means that it blooms more often during the course of the summer
than other selections. In fact, this clone is called 'Lynn's Everblooming' in
Texas. In many ways, 'Lynn's Legacy' is very similar to Rio Bravo™, but grows
more slowly, blooms more frequently, and has lighter green foliage.
Leucophyllum
langmaniae Rio Bravo™ If you prefer a more formal look, you might consider
using Rio Bravo™. It is very similar in appearance to Chihuahuan Sage, but
mantains a tight, rounded form without any pruning. It forms a dense mound to 5
feet tall and wide. Its foliage is a slightly richer green than Chihuahuan Sage
and Lynn's Legacy', providing a lusher appearance. Although it has the same
lavender flowers as Chihuahuan Sage and 'Lynn's Legacy', it does not bloom as
profusely. Rio Bravo™ is trademarked by Mountain States Wholesale Nursery.
Leucophyllum frutescens Green Cloud™ Since its introduction to the nursery
trade in the early 1980's, Green Cloud™ has become the most widely-used
selection. Compared to the other clones, it has the largest leaves, and a lush
green color. Frequent summer flowering, with large rose-pink blossoms, are other
selling points. Green Cloud™ is fast-growing, and relatively carefree.
However, many people are not aware that Green Cloud™ is one of the largest
Texas Rangers, easily attaining a size of 6-8 feet tall and wide. All too often
this shrub is jammed into spaces that are far too small, starting the vicious
cycle of severe pruning and "poodling". This creates unnecessary
maintenance and limits flower production. Give Green Cloud™ plenty of space to
develop, and maybe we can eliminate gumdrops forever! This clone is the most
deciduous of the selections discussed in this handout.
Leucophyllum revolutum
Houdini™ Collected from a higher elevation in Mexico, this species is
especially well-suited to colder climates. It is completely evergreen in the
Phoenix area, and blooms later than some of the other species, preferring the
cooler fall weather. The texture of the foliage is very different from the other
Texas rangers. Its succulent, light green leaves have the texture of rosemary.
It blooms profusely in the fall with large, medium purple flowers. This plant
grows slowly to 4 feet tall by 4-5 feet wide.