Big Blue Sage

I don't see too many blue flowers around. There are lots of blue aster species, but I haven't seen any along the roads I usually drive on in my area. So I was very surprised when I was leaving Oakland and a patch of something blue caught my eye. So surprised, I had to turn around and pull over.

I didn't recognize it at all, but I looked it up when I got home and found out it is Big blue sage, AKA Pitcher sage, Azure sage or Giant blue sage (Salvia azurea). It is in the mint family. The butterflies were loving it.

It was just on this hillside and no other spots along the road. I'm glad I stopped to look!