Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate infrequently or not at all once established - an extremely drought and heat tolerant plant, though flowers heavier after some irrigation in summer. It is tolerant, and in fact prefers, alkaline soils and is hardy to about 5 degrees F, so useful down to USDA zone 8 but does not like poorly drained wet soils or shade. Is often sheared and tolerates this treatment well but certainly looks better when only lightly pruned in late winter or early spring to maintain shape or even opened up to expose its branching structure and gray barked stems - later pruning can be done but risks removal of developing flower buds. Though evergreen, foliage is sparser in winter with new leaves emerging in spring.

Leucophyllum frutescens is native from Northern Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas) north into Texas through the Rio Grande Plains and Trans-Pecos area into New Mexico where it grows on rocky slopes. The name for the genus comes from the Greek words 'leukos' meaning "white" and 'phyllos' meaning "leaf", in reference to the white foliage of Leucophyllum frutescens. The specific epithet means somewhat or becoming shrubby or woody. This species is considered to be one of Texas's most outstanding native plants and has been declared the official Texas state native shrub. It is sometimes called "barometer bush" because flowering is triggered by higher humidity or rain. Other common names include Texas Ranger, Texas Rain Sage, Cenizo, Texas Silverleaf, Ash-bush, Wild Lilac, Purple Sage, Senisa, Cenicilla, Palo Cenizo and Hierba del Cenizo.

The 'Los Alamitos' cultivar is a plant that was growing at the historic Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch and Gardens in Long Beach. It was never determined when the original plant at that garden was planted but cuttings of it were taken in the late 1980s and a plant from these cuttings was planted in the Santa Barbara garden of Carol Bornstein, then Director of Horticulture at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. This plant grew into a large open shrub about 7 feet tall by as wide by the time we took cuttings of it for our crops in 2011. This plant was removed by new owners when the house was sold in 2014. 

The information displayed on this page about Leucophyllum frutescens 'Los Alamitos' is based on the research we have conducted about it in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.