The flowers of Salvia brandegei are white with lilac tones, and profuse when this Salvia gets full sun exposure. It requires good drainage and does fine in poor soils with little to no water when established. Most Salvias are deer proof.

This Salvia blooms from February to April providing nectar early in the season for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. I’ve seen the Golden-crowned Sparrows nibble at the petals in spring, and later in the year finches flock to this shrub for seeds. A mature specimen of Brandegee’s Sage is a woody stemmed shrub with arching branches that can be 5 feet high and as wide. The interior spaces of this plant provide nesting sites and cover for birds.

Salvia brandegei is native to the Channel Islands, and has naturalized in the southern California coastal scrub.