Prairie Sage

You recognize prairie sage by its fine-textured, silver-white foliage that stands in striking contrast to neighboring green plants. This erect, somewhat weedy perennial grows in spreading clumps from 1-3 feet tall on greenish-white stems clad with aromatic, lance-shaped leaves. The stems bear linear leaves up to 11 cm long, covered in woolly gray or white hairs. In late summer through early fall, you'll notice narrow, inconspicuous flower clusters of yellowish flower heads, rarely taller than 7 mm in diameter. The plant's name refers to Louisiana, though it's native across much of North America from Canada to Mexico.

Plant prairie sage in full sun in poor to moderately fertile, dry to medium-moisture, well-drained soils. Excellent soil drainage is essential; the plant performs poorly in moist to wet soils where root rot becomes a concern. In fertile soils and partial shade, stems tend to lodge (flop) in summer, and foliage decline commonly occurs in high-humidity climates. If stems flop, consider pinching back in late spring to reduce mature height or shearing the plant in summer to revitalize it. The plant spreads by rhizomes and self-seeding, so monitor its spread or use soil barriers where naturalization is not desired. 'Silver King' spreads less aggressively than the species type.