Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

First, the story that not being able to plant anything near the granite slab because it heats up in the summer and cooks the roots. What do you think about the pockets of spring flowers growing already on that hunk of granite? They don't seem to be cooking. And the roots of plants are in the shade, protection and insulation of the earth, quite safe from the reflection of light and heat from that rock. In fact, the density of the rock probably means it is pretty cool inside, too.

Now, on to the Texas Sage. There are two plants native to Central Texas in or near Llano County with the common name "Texas Sage":

Leucophyllum frutescens (Cenizo) - an evergreen shrub

Salvia texana (Texas sage) - an herbaceous blooming plant

Follow each plantt link to our webpages on these plants to learn their sunlight requirements, soil and water needs as well as color and time of blooming. Since you mentioned you wanted to make a hedge, we are going to assume you meant the Cenizo, which is often sold as "Texas Sage." You will note that one of the pictures of this plant from our Image Gallery (below) shows the Cenizo trimmed as a hedge. We prefer it not trimmed too heavily as this removes a lot of the blooms. With some rain, this plant can bloom virtually year-round. And we think it will thrive and be beautiful in front of the chunk of granite.