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Thursday - January 27, 2005

From: Cibolo, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Pruning, Shrubs
Title: Late winter pruning of native Texas Sage
Answered by: Nan Hampton and Joe Marcus

QUESTION:

I have several Texas Sage bushes that have started to get very woody and have growth only on the top. This seems to have led to a definite listing to one side. Should I trim these to the ground or tear them up? They have managed to lean over and kill all the smaller bushes around them. When should I do what ever I should do? We live in the San Antonio area.

ANSWER:

Texas sage, or cenizo, (Leucophyllum frutescens) tends to get leggy in cultivation, especially if it is growing in the shade. The most likely reason it is leaning is that it is growing towards the direction of the most sunlight. Late winter is the best time to prune it and it sounds as if it would benefit from a severe cutback. Even with an extreme pruning it will probably survive and sprout again and you can then tip prune to keep its shape and size in check. Also, it should be watered only sparingly and it should not be fertilized. Should it not survive the severe pruning, you might consider replacing it with one of the dwarf varieties, such as 'Silverado'(tm).

You can read about the Texas sage in the Native Plants Database on the Wildflower Center web page. Select "Growing Conditions" from the menu at the top of that page to read more about maintaining your Texas sage.

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Thursday - January 27, 2005

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