General: Bladder Sage (Salazaria mexicana) is an upright, dome-shaped, many-branched shrub with thin twigs that come off the stems at nearly right angles, giving the plant a thin, twiggy appearance. The fruits are diagnostic: they are small (1/2-inch diameter) papery bags with seeds inside that give the plant the other common name “Paperbag Bush.”

Bladder Sage is a fairly common component of wash communities on upper bajadas in the Lower Sonoran (Creosote-Bursage Flats) and Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub) life zones. It can be found beyond the washes, but it is most common along washes.

Family: Mint (Lamiaceae).

Other Names: Paperbag bush.

Plant Form: Upright many-branched shrub with long thin twigs.

Height: 3-4, to about 5 feet.

Bark:

Stems: Twigs come off branches at nearly right angles; rigid.

Leaves: Oval, to about 1/2-inch long, margin entire.

Flowers: Blooms March to June. Inflorescences axillary at last few nodes on stem, two small flowers per node; flowers purple, 2-lipped; calyx expands to from a hollow, bladder-like fruit 1/2 to 3/4-inch in diameter.

Seeds: Fruit: 4 nutlets. Nutlets small and round.

Habitat: Dry, well-drained sandy, gravelly, and rocky soils and washes on upper bajadas and moderate slopes in the lower mountains.

Elevation: 3,500 to 6,000 feet.

Distribution: Southwestern U.S. California to Utah and Texas, south into northern Mexico.

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