Russian sage provides a great direct contrast to other plants with its dramatic wispy grain and blue colour .
Russian salvia , a sturdy perennial in Zones 4 - 9 , is a great summation to a garden . It can do as a specimen flora or provide contrast to other plants with its wispy grain and lavender or blue colour .
On Russian salvia efflorescence spike , the individual blossoms are lilliputian . Each flower has a four - lobed upper petal and a smaller lower petal . Around these flower petal is the calyx , a vacuum tube that protects the flowers from damage before they flower . In the typeface of the Russian sage , the calyx is covered in coarse white fuzz and is also a lavender - gamey . These are hold in on the plant for quite a while , so it will appear to flower long after its flush are work .
Peter Krumhardt.
Russian sage also has silver - gullible leaf . folio edge may have a serrated or wavy border . All parts of Russian salvia are quite fragrant when rubbed or crushed . It ’s been described as a sage - similar odour , sometimes mixed with lavender scents .
Where to Plant Russian Sage
Keep Russian sage away from tint , where stem will extend and flop in search of the sun they crave . The hotter and stronger the sun , the better . expend Russian sage to add colour to a pavement , a concrete patio , or next to a driveway or car port . works thistough perennialin well - debilitate dirt .
How and When to Plant Russian Sage
you could plant Russian sage up to 6 week before thefirst frost . If you imbed during the hottest month , Russian salvia could receive shock . The good time to implant is in late saltation when the soil has catch warm from rising temperatures . embed them at least 18 inch apart for air circulation and room for growth .
Dig a holeabout the same breadth and profoundness as the planting container . take away the plant and loosen the stem from the theme ball before placing it in the hole . Backfill with soil , tamp thinly , and piss well .
Russian Sage Care Tips
deal for Russian salvia is pretty easy . Its drouth tolerance and ability to mature in high heat make it low - maintenance .
Light
Russian salvia thrives in full sun . The hot , the in force . As long as it has enough water to keep it live , it excel in heat .
Soil and Water
This perennial is very heat- and drought - tolerant , though it should be plant in medium to dry andwell - drained soilto invalidate rot . Russian salvia wo n’t grow in very wet land , but it will succeed in rocky , poor soil that ’s alkaline ( pH of 7.0 or above ) .
keep off overwatering to forbid solution putrefaction , butwater regularlyduring the first season to help your plant create a deep root system .
Temperature and Humidity
As much as Russian salvia loves the sunshine , it will do all right in cold weather , too , down to Zone 5 . Add mulch to protect the roots during the coldest months in wintertime — the top portion will die back , but they ’ll grow again in outpouring . A toilsome freeze seriously harm Russian sage blooms and foliage , so your plant willneed protectionif it gets below 32ºF and you want to stretch its season .
Fertilizer
There ’s no motivation to fecundate Russian sage , but you could mulch lightly with compost in the outpouring . If you ’re engraft it in a passel , habituate a potting soil with a premixed fertilizer which will bung it for the farm time of year . After the first class , fee the plant with a water - soluble fertilizer every few week ( at least once a month ) , according to package directions , during the growing time of year .
Pruning
you could deadhead the evanesce blossom spikes but wait to foreshorten back the whole plant until early outflow . Then , before new increment appears , cut the stems to a few inch above the ground . This help keep Russian sage looking its upright each year .
If the flora seem to be growing too large or start fall over , remove the top third of the industrial plant . This will encourage a new flush of outgrowth with denser stem . Plant Russian salvia where other plants can provide support if involve .
Potting and Repotting Russian Sage
For secure results , plant containers with Russian sage in early bounce . It should be added to the containers at the same deepness as the garden entrepot mint . Thepotting soilshould be promiscuous and well - draining , and the containers need to have drainage hole to preclude soggy roots . tally fertilizer every few weeks to potted Russian sage . It ’s good to plow potted Russian sage as an annual in cold clime .
Repot into fresh pot premix when plant life are ready for variance every few geezerhood .
Pests and Problems
Because Russian sage is aromatic , most pests tend to pass on it alone . The braggy trouble Russian sage may have is root guff , so be judicious about watering .
How to Propagate Russian Sage
The most effective way to propagate Russian sage is through basal cuttings . You do this by check for new growth in the spring where plants were cut back the year before . slit off one of the raw , arise stems along the root ball along with some root . Add the cutting to a pot sate withcactus mixor to your garden in appropriate soil .
Any Russian salvia plantshould be dividedafter four to six year .
Types of Russian Sage
‘Blue Spires’ Russian Sage
' Blue Spires ' featuresdeep blue flowerson a tidier wont than the plain species . Zones 4 - 9 .
‘Rocketman’ Russian Sage
Strong stem help harbour ' Rocketman ' vertical as it develop cloud of majestic flowers . zone 4 - 9 .
Russian Sage Companion Plants
Phlox
There are several unlike kinds of phlox . Garden and meadow phlox grow large panicle of fragrant flowers in a wide assortment of colors . They also supply pinnacle , heft , and enchant to a perimeter . Low - growingwild Sweet William , moss pinko , and cower phlox are efficacious as ground covers , at the front of the mete , and as rock and godforsaken garden plants , particularly in light shade . Zones 4 - 8 .
Daylily
Daylilies are well-fixed to develop but look fragile , producingtrumpet - shaped bloomsin myriad colors . Some are fragrant . The efflorescence are bear on leafless stems . Although each bloom lasts a exclusive day , superscript cultivars conduct numerous bud on each scape , so bloom time is long , especially if you deadhead daily . The strappy foliage may be evergreen or deciduous . geographical zone 3 - 10 .
Black-Eyed Susan
Add a massedplanting of black - eyed Susanto your garden . From midsummer , these tough aboriginal plants bloom in Dominicus or light shade and ruffle well with other perennials , yearly , and shrubs . marvelous assortment look especially appropriate among shrub , which in turn provide documentation . Add black - eyed Susans to wildflower meadows or aboriginal plant garden for a established aspect . Zones 3 - 11 .
Milkweed
Brightly colored butterfly weed attractsmany kinds of butterfliesto its colored blooms . Monarch butterfly stroke larvae provender on its leaves but seldom harm this aboriginal plant . It ’s boring to come out in the give , so mark its location to avoid accidental digging before new development pop out . zona 3 - 9 .
Garden Plans for Russian Sage
No-Fuss Sun-Loving Garden Plan
Drought-Tolerant Garden Plan
This loose sundry garden bed features drought - liberal trees , evergreen plant shrub , perennial , and annuals .
A Simple, Late-Summer Perennial Garden Plan
Seven perennial and one annual provide colors and textures throughout the develop season . Adecorative birdbathadds a focal power point .
Easy-Care Summer Garden Plan
total this easily - develop assembling of beautiful recurrent flowers to your yard for big summertime bang .
Frequently Asked Questions
Russian sage is n’t classified as encroaching , but because it can self - sow and has rhizomatous root , it can grow rapidly without being planted . stab up new plants that you do n’t need , and look for Modern cultivar that are breed to be less fertile at spreading .
Sometimes Russian salvia will flop over . you’re able to stake your plant , but it ’s easy to plant them in bunch so they can support each other as they grow .
Yes , and rabbit remain away from it too . On the other hand , bee , Bronx cheer , and butterfly are drawn to Russian sage .
Credit: Hirneisen Photography
Russian salvia is n’t toxic . Its aroma might be appealing to some hot dog and cats who wish to chew on things .
Under the right conditions , Russian sage can last 10 years or more . However , unless they are divided and replanted , they might decline after 4 - 6 years .
Credit: Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.
Credit: Jason Wilde
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Credit: Perry L. Struse
Credit: Matthew Benson
Credit: Mavis Augustine Torke
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Credit: Mavis Augustine Torke
Credit: Illustration by Gary Palmer
