Russian Sage Plant Profile and Tips for Growing

Many gardeners will find Russian Sage a great choice to add to their xeriscapes or drought-tolerant gardens because of the long-lasting blooms that need less water than many other perennial plants.

Cultivation Information and How to Grow Russian Sage

Botanical and Common Name – Russian Sage has the scientific namePerovskia

Plant Category – Russian Sage is an herbaceous perennial, although older stems can become woody at the crown.

Bloom Time and Color – The blue or violet colored flowers last several weeks from mid-summer through almost all of the fall months.

Foliage – Russian sage has aromatic foliage of a silvery-green or blue-grey color that blends well with other plants in the garden.

Growth Habit – Russian sage grows in spiky, upright clusters that provide a vertical accent in the garden.

Dimensions – Russian sage typically grows from 2-4′ tall although sometimes plants can reach as tall as 5′. The upright growth habit means that plants are usually only about 2-3′ wide.

Maintenance – Russian sage prefers full sun because too much shade will increase the likelihood of stems flopping over, making staking more needful. Heavy cutting in the early spring will help renew the plant each year. Division is not usually necessary and can be difficult because of the woody crown and stems at the base of the plant.

Pests or Diseases – Neither a pest, nor disease, the Perovskia plants can flop over towards the end of their blooming season but most gardeners do not mind as they contribute so much to the garden otherwise.

Propagation Methods – Russian sage can be propagated through cuttings (anecdotally, spring tip cuttings seems to root easier) and through seedling volunteers. Some enthusiasts at Dave’s Garden reported new plants through runners but others had Russian sage for many years with no naturalization.

Using Russian Sage in the Garden

Preferred Conditions – Russian sage does best in full sun, somewhat poor soil and low to moderate amounts of water.

Companion Plants – Gardeners can mix Russian sage with other aromatic plants for a long-lasting fragrance garden, or use the silvery foliage and easy flower colors to blend with other summer flowering plants like coneflowers.

Seasons of Interest – Russian sage provides year-round interest with it’s twiggy, architectural appearance in the winter, new spring shoots, in addition to summer and fall blooms.

Uses – Use Russian sage as the summer and autumn star of the fragrance garden by combining with other fragrant plants such as lavender, rose, and thyme. Russian sage makes a lovely, informal hedge or pathway edging as well and can be combined with shorter, more compact plants of a contrasting color like coreopsis or marigolds. Alternatively, gardeners may use it as a whispy under planting for ornamental, leggy trees like crape myrtle or standard-trained roses. And of course, Russian sage attracts butterflies making it a great addition to the butterfly garden.