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How to Plant and Grow Russian Sage |
| Written by Dena Bolton |
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Russian sage is a perennial hardy in Zones 3-9. It can grow to be 5-feet-tall and has a shrub-like appearance. The stems are white with gray-green "fuzzy" leaves. Depending on how mild your winters are, it can begin to bloom as early as the late spring, producing spikes of tiny purple or bluish-purple flowers. It is not generally bothered by pests and can be an easy, care-free plant in your garden if given the right conditions and care. Step 1: Choose a site in full sun. Russian sage likes its sun, so you need to plant it where it will get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day. Do not even think about planting it in shade or partial shade, because it will not do well at all. Step 2: Make sure that it has good drainage. Once established, Russian sage tends to like being a bit on the dry side. It does not like sitting in water; therefore, you definitely need to make sure that it has good drainage. (Do water it regularly during the first summer that you plant it in order to allow the plant to take hold.) Step 3: Work some humus into the soil when planting. While Russian sage will grow in almost any type of soil, adding some humus to the planting mix will help with the drainage it requires. Step 4: Cut back in the spring if necessary. If you want to cut your Russian sage back, do so in the spring. Cut it back to about 1-foot from the ground. Never cut it back all the way to the ground. In fact, I seldom even cut mine back that much. Instead, I just allow the growth to begin to appear on the stalks that I have allowed to remain through the winter. Step 5: Prune if necessary. If you feel the need, you can prune your Russian sage to encourage a bushier growth and/or additional blooming. Just cut the stalks back right above the lowest buds. However, you usually do not need to prune in the summer. It will bloom non-stop until well into the fall and right before the first frost. Step 6: Stake if necessary. Russian sage frequently does need to be staked, so you should be prepared to do so as it gets larger. Step 7: Winterize. There is really very little that you need to do to get this plant ready for winter. Just throw some mulch around it and wait for spring. Do not cut it back. Tips: •If your Russian sage begins to bloom early, which often happens in areas with mild winters, it may seem to have bloomed itself out by the late summer. Just cut back the stalks with the blooms, and wait for a new flush of blooms. Warnings: •Russian sage is difficult to divide. Sometimes it will produce offsets at the base, which you can dig up and transplant. If you want additional plants, however, the best method is to take 3-5-inch cuttings from a non-flowering stem.
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Intro: My first experience with Russian sage ((Perovskia atriplicifolia) was at a local nursery. As I approached the entrance to the greenhouse, I caught a whiff of the most wonderful fragrance. It turned out to be a large Russian sage they had planted at the entrance. Of course, I just had to have one.
