Plant in full sun in a well-draining soil and irrigate infrequently.. We have found that it requires no supplemental irrigation in our cool coastal climate but the California Botanic Garden (ex Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden) in Claremont, California has noted that while this plant is drought tolerant, it responds favorably to supplemental water in summer at their inland location. They also noted that plants of the species (not this collection) at their garden froze back at 18° F in 1978, but resprouted from the base. Hyptis emoryi 'Silver Lining' was collected near the high elevation extreme of the species so should prove to be hardy to at least these temperatures. This attractive shrub draws honeybees and other pollinators to its flowers.

Hyptis emoryi is native to the desert washes and hillsides in mid to high elevation deserts in California, Arizona, Nevada and northwestern Mexico in Sonora and Baja California, generally below 3,500 feet. The name for the genus is from the Greek word 'huptios' meaning "turned back" from the lower lip position of the flower and the specific epithet honors Major William Hemsley Emory (1811-1887), an Army officer and director of the Mexican Boundary Survey.

'Silver Lining' was collected by Carol Bornstein in the Mojave Desert and is a Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Introduction (Accession No: 95-038) that we have grown since trialing it in 1999. Another tentative cultivar name considered for this plant that we thought quite suitable was 'Desert Potpourri'. DNA evidence demonstrated Hyptis to be polyphyletic and this species was segregated and transferred to the genus Condea, making its correct current name Condea emoryi. Michel Adanson, the French naturalist who is credited as the author of the genus name Condea in 1763 used the name previously given by Jean-Baptiste René Poupée-Desportes in an unpublished manuscript for Condaea frutescens, the type species of the genus, and neither men gave an explanation for choosing the name. We retain the older name Hyptis emoryi until such time as this name becomes more widely recognized so not to confuse customers and our staff. 

The information about Hyptis emoryi 'Silver Lining' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant.