The Hop Sage. In early spring the Hop Sage becomes beautiful and is a joy to watch. Tiny purplish flowers emerge toward the tips of the branches in March.
So says the Federal Highway Commission. Under the Roadside Use of Native Plants, Hop Sage is mentioned. This plant grows well between 2500 feet and 7500 feet, and according to Michael L. Charters, author of California Plant Names: Latin and Greek Meanings and Derivations and Wildflowers and Other Plants of Southern California, blooming time is between March and June. The information from Charter's web site is about California, so apparently the Hop Sage appears across desert zones, namely the Mojave and Great Basin deserts.
Hop Sage is another plant among a select few that are truly pure xeric. Once established, the plant takes care of itself. This pattern of self-care has benefits to gardening and landscaping. The plant helps stabilize disturbed soil which helps the community of plants become more integrated.
From the Federal Highway Commission's public knowledge base for plants that you might see along the roadsides of Nevada's highways (this list is for the entire state):
* The Desert with "Vegetation Largely Absent" must refer to the few deepest tables in dry lake beds where nothing grows.
In the wilds when you see Hop Sage, you'll most surely be seeing several other prominent plants of our stretch of Nevada and Sierra.
