A Tough Plant for the Sun

A Russian sage thrives in this hot dry location.

Flower buds swirl around their stems as they prepare to open.

Their blossoms attract many types of pollinators.

Their form is an airy vase shape.

Small hairs cover the flowers.

Common Name:  Russian sage
Botanical Name:  Salvia yangii (formerly Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Family:  Lamiaceae
Plant Type: subshrub, deciduous woody perennial
Origin:  Himalayas, China
Form:    upright vase
Mature Size:  1.5’ – 5’ x 1.5’-4’
Growth:  fast
Hardiness Zone:  5 to 9
Foliage:  fragrantly sage-like when crushed, grey-green, arranged in opposite pairs with a short petiole, up to 2” long & ¾” wide, stubby lance-shaped, deeply serrated margins
Flowers:  July to October, light purple to blue, showy, circular arranged around branched panicles 12” – 15” long, purple or white hairs on calyx, tube shaped corollas (flowers) with a 4 lobed upper lip, shorter lower lip
Seeds: small, dark brown oval nutlets
Exposure:  full sun
Soil:  dry, needs good drainage, soil tolerant except wet
Maintenance: low
Attracts: pollinators, bees, butterflies & hummingbirds
Invasive Tendencies: yes, in certain conditions
Tolerates: drought, clay soil, arid conditions, urban areas, rabbit, deer
Uses:  drought gardening, xeriscaping, borders, cut flowers, accent, filler, massing, containers, phytoremediation, seasonal hedging, stabilize slopes
Propagation:  softwood cuttings in spring, semi-hardwood cuttings in summer, seeds
Pruning:  cut back all stems in autumn or spring to within 6 inches of the ground
Problems:  may spread via underground rhizomes & by seeds
Awards: Perennial Plant Association's 1995 Plant of the Year, 'Blue Spire' received the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit


Comments:  Russian sage is a handsome plant that resemble lavenders with airy spikes of violet flowers and grey-green foliage that smells like sage when crushed. In late summer into autumn, while other plants are fading, Russian sage come into their own with their thin twiggy stems smothered with softly purple flowers. The effect is a stunning soft mist of silvery blue stems that arise from a central base in the shape of a vase.  
 
Formerly known as Perovskia atriplicifolia, the Russian sage has a new botanical name Salvia yangii due to it’s square stems that are indicative of the salvia genus. This subshrub is not a fully blown shrub as it’s woody stems do not have longevity, but the roots do. This is why it is also referred to as a woody-based perennial as it regrows from its base every year.
 
Russian sages are tough plants that thrive in hot, sunny and dry locations along driveways, boulevards and sunny borders. Their stems tend to flop over with inadequate sunlight and in rich soils.
When it come to soil preference, good drainage is essential and they aren’t too picky about soil pH. Due to their tolerance to dry soil they are used in drought gardening (xeriscaping). Avoid wet soils and don’t pamper them with fertilizer as both can damage their roots.
 
Growing Russian Sage
Plant in an area that receives 6 to 8 hours of full sun where there is good drainage. Prefers soils that a moderately dry to dry soils, however water regularly the first year to encourage deep roots. Avoid overwatering as leads to root rot. They require little to no fertilizer, but they do benefit from a few inches of an organic mulch spread on top of the ground.
 
Cut back stems in autumn after flowers fade or leave them on for winter interest until spring. Cut plants back to 6 inches in spring when plants break dormancy and begin to grow.
 
Notable Uses
Russian sages have many uses in the landscape including slope stabilization due their tolerance to dry soil and rhizomatous roots. Use them in phytoremediation to remove lead and other toxins from contaminated soils
 
Invasive?
Russian sage does have invasive tendencies, especially when it grown in ideal conditions via seeds and rhizomes. Pull up seedlings and dig out roots. Note that newer cultivars are less invasive.
 
Cultivars:
Blue Spire: 2’-3’ tall & wide, small violet-blue flowers on white stems
Denim ‘n Lace: 2’ – 3’ tall, strong stems, compact, blue flowers, grey green foliage
Sage Advice: Grows to 3’, compact, strong upright stems, darkest blue of all varieties.