‘Heavenly Cloud‘ is an extremely hardy desert shrub with show-stopping lavender flowers. Here’s everything you need to know about planting and caring for this Texas ranger cultivar.
‘Heavenly Cloud’ (Leucophyllum x ‘Heavenly Cloud’) is a popular cultivar of Texas ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens), an extremely popular landscape plant that’s native to Texas and Mexico.
This medium size evergreen shrub is appreciated for its small, fuzzy green-gray leaves and its abundant displays of small lavender flowers. When in bloom, this shrub puts on a dazzling display.
Like all Texas rangers, ‘Heavenly Cloud’ is extremely easy to grow. It thrives in the harshest conditions — full sun and poor soil — and needs very little water once established.
Provided it’s been given enough room to grow into its natural shape, it rarely needs pruning. It has no thorns and is low-litter.
It rarely needs pruning, provided it’s been given enough room to grow into its natural shape. It has no thorns and is low-litter.
Under ideal conditions, it can be expected to live for 40 years and is highly tolerant of urban pollution.
Texas rangers flower after rain or during periods of high humidity.
This is why it’s sometimes called barometer bush.
Why I Like This Plant
- Show-stopping floral displays
- Extremely low maintenance
- Attracts bees and butterflies
- No thorns, low litter
- Deer and rabbit resistant
Things to Watch Out For
When not given adequate space to grow, all Texas rangers need to be pruned, and no desert shrub suffers more abuse from landscapers’ shears than this and other Texas rangers.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a ‘Heavenly Cloud’ Texas ranger to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
It should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 – 11. It is extremely heat tolerant and cold-hardy, down to 10℉.
It’s evergreen, but sometimes loses a few leaves in the winter. This is perfectly normal.
Sun Exposure
It thrives in full sun and doesn’t mind the reflected heat from walls and buildings. You can grow it in part shade, but it will have fewer flowers.
Size and Growth Rate
It’s considered a fast grower, and will reach a size of 6 feet tall and wide when mature. This is smaller than many Texas rangers, but is still a decent-sized shrub that does not like to be crowded, so give it plenty of room to grow.
Be aware that most of the year your Texas ranger will not be in bloom. It blooms in bursts throughout the summer when there is adequate moisture, usually every 4 weeks or so.
Here’s what it will look like the rest of the year.
Soil
It grows well in alkaline, well-draining native desert soil.
Other Location Considerations
Because it has no thorns, is non-toxic, and is nearly litter-free, it is a plant you can feel comfortable placing near a pool, sidewalk, or anywhere it might come in contact with pets and people.
‘Heavenly Cloud’:
The Essentials
| Common Names | ‘Heavenly Cloud’Texas ranger, ‘Heavenly Cloud’ Texas sage |
| Scientific Name | Leucophyllum x ‘Heavenly Cloud’ |
| Origin | Texas, Mexico |
| Plant Type | Evergreen shrub |
| USDA Zones | Zones 8 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 10℉ |
| Flower Color | Purple |
| Flower Season | Summer, fall |
| Mature Size | 6’ high x 6’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, part, reflected sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | Root rot if overwatered |
| Garden Friendly | No thorns, non-toxic, non-allergenic |
| Wildlife | Attracts butterflies, bees Deer, rabbit resistant |
How to Plant
The rule of thumb when planting any shrub in the desert is to dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Amending the soil is not recommended. Counterintuitively, backfilling with the same native soil you just dug up helps your plant develop a stronger root system.
When to Plant
The best time to plant ‘Heavenly Cloud’ is in the fall. This gives your shrub three seasons to grow roots and get established before the following summer.
The second best time is in spring, the earlier the better. This still gives your plant time to get established before the intense heat of June arrives.
How to Care for ‘Heavenly Cloud’
Whether you’ve recently planted a ‘Heavenly Cloud’ or have an existing plant in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water New Plants
Once you’ve got your Texas ranger in the ground, watering is your most immediate concern. Here is the recommended watering schedule for new shrubs planted in the spring or fall.
| Weeks 1 & 2 | Every 3 – 4 days |
| Weeks 3 & 4 | Every 5 – 7 days |
| Weeks 5 & 6 | Every 7 – 10 days |
| Weeks 7 & 8 | Every 10 – 14 days |
After week 8, gradually extend the time between waterings.
How to Water Established Plants
As your shrub gets established, there are two watering factors to consider.
- First is how often to water. This will vary with the seasons.
- Second is how much water to give your shrub with each watering. This depends on the current size of your plant.
Note that once established, your ‘Heavenly Cloud’ will not need supplemental water during the winter.
To determine the ideal watering schedule for Texas ranger or any desert shrub you’ll find everything you need to know, including easy-to-use charts, at How to Water Desert Shrubs: How Often? How Much?
Should You Fertilize?
There is no need to fertilize ‘Heavenly Cloud’ and, in fact, doing so can lead to legginess.
How to Prune
When allowed to take on their natural form, ‘Heavenly Cloud’ Texas rangers are a sight to behold when in bloom. When planted where it has room to grow, pruning is rarely needed.
Unfortunately, there are few desert plants that suffer more pruning abuse than Texas rangers. So-called landscapers regularly shear them into balls, cubes, and other unnatural forms.
And I’ve seen many garden and nursery websites further perpetuate this abuse by saying it makes a great hedge that can be “formally” trimmed. Just don’t.
Shearing turns this lovely plant into an eyesore, assures that it won’t bloom, destroys its health, and can eventually kill it.
And why would you want to have the ugly box on the right when you could have the beautiful flowers on the left?
You can minimize the need to prune by providing less water.
Save water and prune less, it’s a win-win!
It’s generally recommended that if your plant needs pruning, cut it back to half its size in early spring.
But if your Texas ranger has grown ugly or too large for its spot, it’s an excellent candidate for regenerative pruning.
Cut it down to 1 foot in late February to early March and then put away the clippers for the rest of the year. It will grow back in its natural attractive form and reward you with explosions of color throughout the summer.
It’s that easy!
For Plant Lovers
All of the ‘Cloud’ Texas rangers are cultivars of the same species genus (Leucophyllum), but not of the same species.
‘Heavenly Cloud‘, ‘Green Cloud’, and ‘White Cloud’ are cultivars of L. frutescens while ‘Thunder Cloud’ and ‘Silver Cloud’ are cultivars of L. candidum. ‘Rain Cloud’ is a hybrid cross of L. frutescens and L. minus.
Texas rangers are often called Texas sage, but are not botanically related to true sages, which are members of the Salvia genus.
Did you enjoy this article?
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
where you’ll find more great info on creating &
maintaining a beautiful, carefree desert landscape.
Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
