# purple sage

*Salvia leucophylla*

The plant releases volatile monoterpenes like camphor and cineole that suppress the germination of competing grass seeds nearby.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Lamiales › Lamiaceae › Salvia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Coastal sage scrub, lower chaparral slopes, and dry open canyons below 800 meters elevation
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (photosynthesis using sunlight, atmospheric carbon dioxide, and soil minerals)
- **Range:** United States, Mexico
- **Size:** 1 to 2.5 meters tall and up to 2 meters wide
- **Lifespan:** 10–30 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Urban sprawl, invasive weed competition, and altered fire return intervals
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to humans. Foliage is non-toxic and culinary-adjacent, though volatile oils can occasionally cause mild contact dermatitis in sensitive skin. Wash skin with soap and water if irritated.

## About

Salvia leucophylla , the San Luis purple sage , purple sage , or gray sage , is an aromatic sage native to the southern coastal mountain ranges of California and Baja California.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/630477ad-6d3b-41c2-9c0f-5acec6d6f97d
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/58191
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia leucophylla
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/119587149/medium.jpg (C T Johansson, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.