Mark,

Your plant looks extremely similar and sounds a lot like the Salvia Argentea I
have in my yard in Valparaiso. The flowers look like a cat's claw and feel
sticky to the touch. If allowed to flower, the stalks get too tall and top
heavy and fall over other plants nearby. It also causes the foliage to fade
from its bright wooly silver to a yellowish green. After the first year, I now
cut the flower shoots off and the foliage looks much better. You'll only have
to deal with insects eating holes in the the leaves now. If you search for
Salvia Argentea, you'll see cutting the flowers is the agreed upon method by
most as the foliage is the attraction here.

Mike