Brandegee's sage

This plant has dark green scalloped leaves and pale lavender flowers in tightly spaced whorls. The violet-gray calyx, combined with the wide open flower lips, make it a very showy flower.

Morphology. This plant grows as a shrub, typically greater than 1 meter in height, or in a prostrate form. This species is heterostylous. The hairs (trichomes) on this plant are branched. The leaves are 2 to 6 cm long, with the leaf blade shaped linear to linear-elliptic. The leaves are adaxially (upper surface) glabrous, and abaxially (lower surface) densely white-hairy. The margins (edges) of the leaves are rolled under, with small, rounded teeth. The inflorescence has clusters 1.5 to 2 cm wide. The bracts are shaped ovate, with sharp tips. The flower has a calyx 7 to 8 mm large, with long hairs, and the upper lip minutely 3-lobed. The corolla tube is 7 to 8 mm long, colored a pale blue to lavender, with the upper lip 3 to 3.5 mm long, and the lower lip 3 to 4 mm long. The stamens are more or less included (not projecting beyond the mouth of the corolla).

This species can be found on Santa Rosa Island, California and on a strip of coast in Baja California. This plant is widespread on Santa Rosa Island, even becoming co-dominant in numerous large, healthy populations. It is found in the shrubland on the island. In Baja California, the plant is found on the immediate coast from the vicinity of Ensenada south to San Quintin, in a 40-mile long strip. It is found in Baja California in habitats of maritime succulent scrub and chaparral.

In cultivation, the plant will reach 4–5 feet tall and up to 7 feet (2.1 m) wide. It likes full sun, dry conditions, and will grow on sandy or clay soil. It can tolerate temperatures down to 0 °F for several hours.