This is a well-loved sage with flowers that come in two colors; pale yellow and deep pink. People who live in north Berkeley are always looking for deer resistant plants, and sages fit the bill. Deer don't like the strong flavor of sages. Many plants have a scent that is too harsh for me, but this one smells sweet and pineapple-y. This one is nice because of the big flowers that attract hummingbirds. It is easy to grow, and can tolerate both full sun and full shade. It needs no water once established. It spreads by rhizomes. Usually I don't want the plants I write about, but I want this one! It would be perfect under my oak!
As an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, I studied Conservation of Natural Resources. I took a couple of entomology classes and became very interested in insects. After I graduated, I held several jobs working with bugs: in the fields of central California, the forests of Connecticut and Idaho, and the labs of Berkeley. Then I went to grad school and studied entomology at UC Riverside and UC Berkeley (back in the olden days when UCB had an entomology department). When my kids were little, I wanted to share my love of insects with them, so I started a butterfly garden before butterfly gardens were popular. Then of course, their teachers asked me to bring caterpillars into the classroom and I started doing classroom presentations. I do presentations in elementary schools, provide teacher trainings, teach adult school classes, and bring live insect specimens to garden fairs. My book is perfect for helping elementary school kids learn about butterflies.
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