Texas "Silverado" Sage

[Zournathan]

I picked this up at the nursery today. It's a Texas Sage which they have labeled as "Silverado Sage". I believe that's just a name for the variant with the very silvery leaves. My understanding is that these can be pruned back very hard and will back bud readily. From what I've read I think that the nursery may have over watered this plant so planning to let it dry out a bit. I'd like to re-pot it into better training soil but at this point in the summer that would probably do more harm then good. Next spring I'll have to decide if I'm going to replant it in another pot or if I'll plant it in the ground and try to get the trunk to thicken a bit.

 

[greerhw]

I don't know if this is good bonsai material or not, but they are beautiful in the landscape, they bloom with small pink flowers.

keep it green,
Harry

 

[Dwight]

I've seen pics as bonsai and if they have old trunks they look pretty good. I'd put it in the ground and keep it small ( say under 3' x 3' x 3' ) until the trunk matures. Check with the Phoenix Bonsai Society's web site for more info.

 

[Zournathan]

I'd like to plant it in the ground to thicken it up, but can't right now because I'm hoping to move either this year or next. If I move before next spring then I'll plant it in the ground next year, otherwise I'll plant it in a large pot. With that in mind would it be best for me to trim it down now to promote back budding and then select a few sacrifice branches to allow to grow unchecked, or should I just let the whole thing go unchecked and trim it back later?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Bill S]

If these backbud as said, and you want growth/trunk size then let it grow, let it grow, let it grow.

 

[Dwight]

They completely redefine the term backbud. I've got some in the front yard and I pruned them back to stumps ( shoulda dug one this winter ) and now they are forming a hedge with all new growth. They remind me of the plant in " Little Shop of Horrors "......" feed me , feed me , feed me....."

 

[milehigh_7]

Here in Vegas they routinely prune the landscape plants back to stumps and they seem to thrive. I will try to get a pic of some of the trunks. They seem to twist for reasons I have not yet identified. I got mine nearly dead from Lowe's for $1 last winter and it is growing like crazy.

 

[Bill S]

He he he only here would anyone find that it's OK to pay for a dead plant.

 

[Zournathan]

Here is a quick virt of what I had in mind when I saw this at the nursery...

Obviously it would need a lot of work from that point and it would be dependent on where it back budded at.