Purple Haze

In southern CA where I live, purple haze not only refers to the Jimmy Hendrix classic but to the annual May-June blooming of the Jacarandas.

There are several streets in my neighborhood planted with these lovely (but stinky!) trees. It's fun to walk or drive down these streets during the May/June bloom to feel the serenity of being enveloped in the lavendar glow. The presence of purple in one's aura is transitory and indicates the presence of spiritual thoughts. When I walk through the blooming Jacarandas I feel the presence of the hand of Mother Earth.

But those blooms last only a month at best, and they leave a lingering odor not unlike the smell of cat pee. During the rest of the year my purple haze of choice is Mexican Salvia (salvia leucantha above) which suffices nicely with no after odor, just a nice sagey smell.

I love the fuzzy color spikes. I have some planted under my kitchen window. Hummingbirds come to feed all day long. Today a goldfinch spent some time looking for tiny bugs on one of the spikes.


Give them lots of sun for big tall strong growth. The ones under my window are six ft. tall. They will survive in some shade but will be a little skimpy and leggy as they reach for the sun. Drought tolerant, good with cactus and succulents, they are the perfect Mediterranean planting scheme. Here is a helpful link. Best in zones 8 to 10. They are so prolific, you can cut some, guilt free, to bring inside for flamboyant bouquets.