Leucophyllum frutescens

The evergreen, rounded shrub grows from four to eight feet tall with an equal spread. It has small, velvety, greenish-gray foliage with fine hairs and an attractive silver trunk. Mature trunks become woody and grayish-brown. The plant blooms in response to the summer monsoon with a massive, fragrant cluster of purple, magenta, lavender, or white blossoms. The color display may last two weeks or more and is extremely showy. There are many varieties of this plant that bloom in different colors with variations in leaf size and color. The plant takes full sun, reflected heat, and just about the hottest spot that you can give it in the landscape. It needs light to moderate water and likes to dry out between irrigation cycles. The Texas Ranger is tolerant of most soils as long as they are well-draining. It is also tolerant of high winds, salty sea air, and deer. The plant is hardy to about fifteen degrees Fahrenheit. It is easy to grow and requires little maintenance. When pruning, do not use hedge trimmers, since shearing this plant will ruin its natural shape. Also, prune it in late fall to encourage flower production in spring. The fast-growing shrub does not like added amendments. Use it as an accent in low-water-use situations, in medians, as a screen, in masses, along foundations, and as a border or hedge planting. The shrub is native to Texas and grows from northern Mexico through the Rio Grande Plains and Trans-Pecos area. It also grows along the Western Edwards Plateau, into New Mexico in dry, rocky limestone slopes at elevations of 1,000 to 4,000 feet

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