Sage Advice Russian Sage

A new introduction for this spring, Sage Advice Russian Sage is the darkest purple Russian Sage flower to date. A hardy, drought tolerant plant, Russian Sage will survive sub zero winters and dry, poor landscapes with ease. This tough perennial will give you long lasting blooms in mid summer and will last well into the fall. Xeriscape gardeners will appreciate its ability to thrive in dry conditions. Lavender blooms erupt from silvery gray foliage creating a fountain of color, and the foliage is fragrant when bruised, emitting a sagey scent. Russian Sage is a member of the mint family. Native to Central Asia all the way through to the Himalayas, Russian Sage was named after a Russian general Vasilij Perovskia, a Russian general and governor who discovered the plant as he led his army through Afghanistan. It is neither a member of the salvia family nor is it a sage. It is a well-loved addition to gardens across the country for its easy to care for reputation.

To put its hardiness into perspective, gardeners in regions where temperatures can drop from – 30 F to -40 F for average winter conditions can grow this lovely tough perennial. Sage Advice Russian Sage Care Russian Sage does best in full sun. Partial shade will create leggy plants that are more likely to flop over and look sad. Growing in average to poor soil with a pH range of 5.8 to 6.2, it will give gardeners an option for that too dry area that nothing else seems to thrive in. Requiring only an average rainfall to keep it happy, you will find that only the most extreme drought conditions will prompt you to maintain a watering schedule. Fertilization is not required and in fact, will be detrimental to this hardy flower as it will promote weak stem growth. Water regularly only to establish your plant in your landscape. Russian Sage is salt tolerant so coastal gardeners will enjoy its lovely color and scent in their often sandy, poor soils. Deadheading is not necessary for Russian Sage. Pruning may be required if you have yellowed or dead stems, just remove them at ground level. If you feel you must prune Russian Sage, prune in early spring before new growth emerges, cutting down to whatever level you want, but realize that the shorter you prune old growth to, the shorter the plant is when fully matured in the fall. Deer and rabbits do not tend to browse on Russian Sage, but bees, butterflies and hummingbirds will be frequent visitors to your garden when you plant Russian Sage. Sage Advice Russian Sage Spacing Space your plants about 28 to 32 inches apart. This will give them room to grow as they reach a height of about 36 inches and spread out about 32 inches. As a member of the mint family, Russian Sage can send out runners and spread, creating new clumps. Be sure to plant this in an area you want to naturalize or where you would appreciate this natural expansion. This is a great plant that fills a need for color and fragrance in places that most other perennials will not grow and gardeners across the nation will appreciate the new darker bloom colors of Sage Advice Russian Sage in their gardens this spring.