Carried by 1 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Thistle Sage (Salvia carduacea) is a native annual herb in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family that grows in southern and central California, primarily in hot, dry inland areas. It comes closest to the coast in northern Santa Barbara County. It tends to grow in sandy or gravelly places, at elevations from 0-4500 feet. It has a distinctive thistle appearance but is not related to true thistles. It is more closely related to Chia (S. columbariae). It is almost always grown from seed and is sometimes included in desert seed mixes.
Annual herb
4 - 40 in Tall
1 ft Wide
Slight
Blue
Spring
Full Sun
Very Low
Tolerates cold to 5° F
Fast
Typically fast draining such as desert sand or decomposed granite.
Tolerates sodic soil..
Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0
By seed
7*, 8*, 9*, 11*, 14, 15, 16, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22, 23, 24
Sandy or gravelly places of inland plains, valleys and hills in the southern half of the state
Coastal Sage Scrub, Creosote Bush Scrub, Valley Grassland
Use with Saltbush (Atriplex spp.), Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa or actonii), Buckwheat (Eriogonum spp.), Lupine (Lupinus spp.), Chuparosa (Justicia californica), Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea), and various cactus and succulent species. Also can be mixed with other annuals herbs.
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Likely
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Confirmed
Texas Striped Sweat Bee
Agapostemon texanus
Crotch's Digger Bee
Anthophora crotchii
Anthophora linsleyi
Crotch's Bumble Bee
Bombus crotchii
Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis
Peppers
Capsicum annuum
Coffee
Coffea
Melons
Cucumis melo