Texas wildflower big red sage proposed for endangered species protection

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The big red sage, a rare Texas wildflower native to the Edwards Plateau, was proposed for endangered species protections Friday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Once presumed extinct, the species was rediscovered in the 1980s but now faces a steep decline, with only seven of its 14 known wild populations remaining.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has opted not to designate critical habitat — an area important to the species’ conservation and recovery — in its proposed listing, saying it could increase the threat of illegal collection.

The agency will take input from the public on the proposal until March 24.

Big red sage is known for its lemon-scented foliage and striking five-foot stalks adorned with reddish-purple flowers that bloom between May and November. It grows on bluffs and banks along waterways on limestone-rich land in the Edwards Plateau of Central Texas.

The species depends on hummingbirds for pollination and can live up to 10 years.

While the plant thrives in cultivated gardens, its wild populations are vulnerable to habitat loss, white-tailed deer, growing urban development as well as flash floods, bank erosion, and moisture loss due to climate change. All those threats result in inbreeding and decrease the plant’s genetic diversity, posing a challenge for long-term survival.

“[Big red sage] is currently on the verge of extinction, and our goal is for big red sage to remain a part of the living natural heritage of Texas and the nation,” said Amy Lueders, Southwest Regional Director for the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Endangered Species Act defines endangered as "any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range."