Species page
Cenizo
Leucophyllum frutescens
Scrophulariaceae
Pink
Purple
The cenizo or purple sage just might be the most popular shrub in Texas. It is a very common component of the native brushlands from the Rio Grande plains to the southern Trans-Pecos, always easy to pick out due to its attractive pale grey-green foliage (hence the name “cenizo”, which means “ash-colored” in Spanish). With a little rain, it will quickly burst into flower, turning parts of the brush country lavender-pink; in areas where it is in the dominant shrub, the mass blooming is spectacular. For obvious reasons, it is thus very popular as a cultivated ornamental in various parts of the state.
