Is my shrub dying?

Question

I am not sure what type of large shrub I have in my yard, but very tall (about 6ft) with leave like a sage and small purple blooms. I believe we are in zone 9 for Nevada. These bushes I have inherited are show lots of green and some blooms on the end of the branches. But when you look to prune, all of the inside branches have no blooms with some signs of new growth at the center near bottom of plant. If I prune, the plant will look dead and I am not sure if it is sick. It is on a watering system and gets water 3 times a week for 2 minutes. Should I remove plant or should I try to revive it?

Answer 1

I am not sure what shrub you have, but there is a shrub called Texas sage (not a true sage) that sounds similar:
http://www.south-florida-plant-guide.com/texas-sage.html

If that's what you have, a hard pruning as described in the article is recommended for the problem you describe. Basically, you'll cut back some of the branches to near the base but leave others longer so it still has some leaves.

If not, you can try a hard pruning anyway (cutting the plant most of the way back) and see if it grows back in a better-looking state.