Victoria County Master         Gardener Association

 In the 1970s, my husband and I and our then 8-month-old daughter traded the rolling, sometimes snow-covered hills of Pennsylvania to the hot, humid coastal plains of Texas. We knew we were off on an adventure, and little did I know what a wealth of knowledge I would be learning surrounding this town of Victoria.

My knowledge of gardening information extended only to information I had acquired about plants, flowers and vegetables of the East Coast. USDA Zone 6b of the East Coast does not have many similarities to the vegetation found in Zone 9 of Victoria, Texas. Always one to learn, I dug in and am still learning today.


Lynn’s Legacy Cenizo/Ever-blooming Texas sage

One plant I found that works well in Zone 9 is Lynn’s Legacy Cenizo, Leucophyllum langmaniae. This shrub, also called Lynn’s Ever-blooming Texas Sage, lives up to its name as it is continually covered in a seasonal profusion of lavender blooms surrounded by leaves in hues of light to medium green with a hint of silver.

Texas Superstar

Yet another name for this shrub is Lowrey’s Legacy Cenizo, which carries the Texas Superstar designation. These are plants, shrubs and trees, which for several years have undergone a wide variety of tests for drought resistance, heat tolerance and low pest or diseases carried out by the Texas A & M AgriLife Research Center.

Description

Lynn’s Legacy Cenizo can be described as an evergreen woody shrub with silver-sheened leaves ranging in color from light to medium green. It produces, with the correct growing conditions, lavender-colored flowers all summer long.

This shrub usually reaches a height of 4 to 5 feet and about the same in width, creating a round-like appearance.

Growing requirements

Found in Zones 8 to 11, this plant is heat- and drought-tolerant. It will bloom continuously if planted in full sun. Since it has undergone the numerous tests of the Texas Superstar, I know it can be all right for the intense, hot summers we have had recently and the past few years.

Be sure not to overwater because the roots will rot when they sit in soggy conditions too long. Any variety of soil will grow Lynn’s Legacy, from sandy to loamy to clay or a combination thereof. It needs to drain well to prevent root rot whether in the ground or in a container.


It needs to be fertilized once or twice a year for blooms and growth to continue. It is a very hardy plant and has hardly any issues as far as pests or diseases are concerned, living up to its Superstar qualities and designation.

Other pluses and minus

• Blooms

Lynn’s Legacy produces an abundance of vivid lavender flowers all summer long — or in South Texas, from May to September. This makes it a good plant to have in your landscape so when everything has quit blooming you still have a bush or hedge full of flowers.

• Bees and Deer

Bees love to forage this plant for its pollen and can be found in its flowers quite a lot. If you happen to be allergic to bees, this plant may not be for you.

Another reason this plant is attractive in this area is it is deer resistant, although nothing can predict what the deer may or may not enjoy munching.

• Slow grower

One drawback to Lynn’s Legacy is it grows slowly. This is a big disadvantage if you are quickly trying to fill in a spot in your yard with new growth. However, the resulting shrub is well worth the wait.

Uses of the shrub

• It can be planted where other plants might not survive due to its drought and heat tolerance

• You can plant it in a parking lot, along roadsides or in yards that might not receive a lot of care.

• If you want to develop your yard into a xeriscape, this is the perfect plant to be included.

• It can be a pretty plant in a container on a patio with full sun or along the side of a house that needs just a touch of something.

Recently I was speaking to a daughter who just moved into a new house and has no time or interest in gardening, but wants a presentable landscape. I mentioned Texas sage or 'Lynn’s Legacy' Cenizo as an addition to her yard. With constant profusion of flowers and the silvery sheen to the leaves, it is sure to perk up any landscape.


Here I am 40-plus years later and I continually pick up bits and pieces of information about plants for this area. Like with this Texas Sage, I can refer to texassuperstar.com and learn about what grows in South Texas.

The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.