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Glite Dictionary
Salvia leucophylla

Salvia leucophylla

9.9
A sage plant from California with silvery leaves and purple flowers
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : salvia leucophylla
  • Hummingbirds are attracted to the vibrant purple flowers of Salvia leucophylla.

Examples

  • The silver foliage of Salvia leucophylla adds contrast to the landscape.

  • Salvia leucophylla is often used in California native plant gardens for its drought tolerance.

  • The Salvia leucophylla blooms beautifully in the spring.

  • Many gardeners love Salvia leucophylla for its vibrant purple flowers.

  • Salvia leucophylla is a popular choice in California gardens because of its striking purple flowers.

  • The silvery leaves of Salvia leucophylla make it a unique addition to any landscape.

  • During the summer, Salvia leucophylla attracts many pollinators with its colorful blooms.

Surface Forms

Salvia leucophylla singular
Salvia leucophyllas plural

Morphology

salvia + leucophylla

This is a scientific Latin binomial name where the second element ('leucophylla') is not an English word and has no dictionary definition provided for learners; a B1 learner who knows 'salvia' but not classical roots would not be able to derive the species meaning. Although the Latin/Greek roots ('leuco-' = white, '-phylla' = leaves) would make the name analyzable to specialists, that morphological knowledge is beyond B1, so the expression is not transparently interpretable by average learners.

Etymology

Salvia leucophylla gets its name from two older words: Salvia comes from a Latin word that means 'heal', because people used sage as a medicine, and leucophylla comes from words that mean 'white leaf', for its silvery leaves. That's why the name describes a healing sage with pale, silvery foliage.