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During the precious few moments when the hoses are not in our hands, we Southern gardeners pass the scorching days of summer comparing notes about what plants - if any - are still thriving in the sometimes triple-digit heat. My answer never changes: Russian Sage.
Voted the Perennial of the Year in 1995 by the Perennial Plant Association, Russian Sage, aka Perovskia atriplicifolia, has been providing drought-tolerant lavender beauty to American gardens for many years. It is hardy to Zone 5 (at least - probably colder), requires little care and is a non-stop bloomer.
Reports of its origin are conflicting, but most horticulturists agree that Perovskia is neither Russian nor a sage, although it is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae. Some have reported it is native to Pakistan; others say the plant originated in the dry rocky hills of Afghanistan. Whatever its background, Russian Sage should not be ignored as a carefree sun-loving selection for your garden.
The most important point to remember is that these plants are very herb-like, so they respond well to the same treatment your lavender or rosemary demands: sun, average (not enriched) soil, excellent drainage and very modest water. In fact, in my experience the only thing that will really rankle a Perovskia is over-watering.
Some of the bigger cultivars will flop a bit if you don't keep them lightly - emphasis on lightly - trimmed. Most woody perennials and herbs don't like being radically chopped, and Perovskia is no exception.
While several gardeners report seeing hummingbirds at their Perovskias, I myself have not witnessed this. However, you can bet your best trowel that it will attract tons of bees, though, so be mindful of where you position this plant if you have young children, curious pets, allergic family members, or all of the above.
Russian Sage also tends to "shed" its tiny blooms in a somewhat messy fashion, so don't repeat my mistake of planting it next to the swimming pool where it can hang over the water.
However, if you're just looking for something fragrant, upright, beautiful and carefree for filling a dry sunny spot or lining a driveway, here's all you need to know:
Foliage: Gray/Silver/Green
Flower color: purple/blue
Height & Width - 3' to 5'
Growth Habit: Upright
Cold hardy to nearly -40°F
Grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9.
Popular cultivars include ‘Blue Mist' (lighter blue flowers), ‘Blue Haze', ‘Blue Spire' (deep purple flowers and larger panicles), 'Longin' (lavender-blue, with stiff upright stems and a more formal appearance), ‘Little Spire' (a dwarf variety) and 'Filigran' (a cut leaf, lacier texture and more upright growth).
Beyond a light layer of mulch at first frost and a modest trim (down to about 6") in early spring, they are completely self-sufficient. I don't spray or fertilize them...heck, I don't even water them during the scorching depths of a Texas summer. And when you don't have to do anything at all to a plant, well, that's about as organic as it gets!
I am an avid organic gardener and certified Master Gardener for Collin County, Texas (that's North Dallas).
Despite those lofty titles, I still manage to kill stuff on a regular basis. My gardening experiences are periodically chronicled on my blog at: http://can-u-dig-it.blogspot.com
Posted by nweissma (from Brooklyn, NY) on June 8, 2008 at 9:05 PM:
i live in nyc zone=7. i want to attract bees primarily, and hummingbirds secondarily (conflict here: feral cats in the area. but the cats may be useful to keep away the gray squirrels, which have destroyed many a new plant). which species of russian sage should i use?
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Subject: I love the scent, but
Posted by candyinpok (from Poughkeepsie, NY) on May 3, 2008 at 7:17 PM:
This plant is rampant in my garden. I've moved it to the back yard, but I can't get rid of it in the front. Every year more comes up even though last year I dug up the whole bed and removed every single root I could find. It's back again this year too. So I'll be digging again.
Goes great with black eyed susans and cone flower but it's definitely too aggressive for me.
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Posted by TexasTam (from Plano, TX) on May 5, 2008 at 10:36 AM:
Hi Candy,
Yeah, I saw a hint of that this year. I pulled out the one by my swimming pool and really thought I'd gotten all the roots, but lo and behold, it's coming up again. I can see where this could be a problem for some folks.
- TexasTam
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Subject: Mine are totally carefree in zone 4a
Posted by sonnet (from Hamel, MN) on April 29, 2008 at 9:50 PM:
Mine came with the house, so I am afraid I don't know which specific varietal they are. But I have a couple HUGE russian sage that are entirely carefree, grow in the worst soil, thrive on neglect, and come back strong every year even in our worst winters (in zone 4a, in MN.) I do not water them except for rainfall, I don't prune them, and I don't fertilize them. All I give them is full sun! I do need to divide one I think, as it is getting a little empty in the middle. But otherwise they have been absolute staples of the garden and have been a delight to see all summer long. If you are looking for worry-free gardening that comes with huge rewards, russian sage is about as perfect a perennial as you can get!
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Subject: Russian Sage
Posted by catwatcher (from Newport Beach, CA) on April 28, 2008 at 3:52 PM:
Aren't these tumbleweeds?
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Posted by K2ne643D76s (from Lecanto, FL) on May 13, 2008 at 12:41 PM:
This plant deffinitely isn't tumbleweed. Here is some information about tumbleweed:
Tumbleweed," "Russian thistle" and "wind witch" are common names for this symbol of the American west. Russian thistle alludes to its Eurasian origin.
Scientific names for tumbleweed include Salsola kali, S. pestifer, S. australis, S. iberica, and S. tragus. Salsola is derived from the Latin sallere, "to salt," in reference to the plant’s salt tolerance. There does not yet appear to be a consensus on the preferred scientific name, although S. tragus is the leading candidate for the inland variety of tumbleweed and S. kali, for the more coastal variety.
Description:
Virtually everyone in the West recognizes mature the Russian thistle, which looks like the skeleton of a normal shrub. Plants may be as small as a soccer ball or as large as a Volkswagen beetle. Most people, however, would fail to recognize the seedling and juvenile plant’s bright green, succulent, grass-like shoots, which are usually red or purple striped. Inconspicuous green flowers grow at axils (where leaf branches off of stem) of the upper leaves, each one accompanied by a pair of spiny bracts. Mice, bighorn sheep and pronghorn eat the tender shoots.
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Subject: Love my russian sage
Posted by woodsyearthmama (from Lynchburg, VA) on April 28, 2008 at 10:37 AM:
After leaving my established garden in my former house I had to prioritize my plantings in my new yard...russian sage was one of my first. It does great on a clay slope with no care other than mulch in the winter. I am a huge purple fan and love the dainty blossoms.
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Subject: Thanks for an idea
Posted by DriftingDude (from Charleston, SC) on April 28, 2008 at 5:18 AM:
You mentioned in your article about planting a russian sage by the drive way gave me an idea. I have two small potted plants. Eventually I will plant one by the drive way which is very sunny spot.
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Subject: I am not a fan of this plant
Posted by Merrilee (from Batavia, IL) on April 26, 2008 at 8:46 PM:
Russian Sage are beautiful in certain situations, easy to grow and drought resistant but in my opinion, I believe they tend to look a little ratty and rough unless planted en masse in a very large area, where they are quite striking. I have had 3 planted in my front yard for three years and I this year I will include them in my neighborhood plant exchange for something else. There are many native plants to my area that are heat and drought resistant and I guess I would prefer to use them as to use a plant that is not native to attract butterflies to my yard.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on April 26, 2008 at 10:32 PM:
I think I'd like mine less as an isolated specimen, but it makes a spectacular backdrop to some black-eyed susans, next to a big boulder in my yard. Sometimes it's a question of placement or pruning -- and sometimes we just end up deciding a particular plant isn't for us. :-)
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Posted by TexasTam (from Plano, TX) on April 27, 2008 at 9:26 AM:
I agree that a stand-alone planting of this would look funky. And, as I mentioned in my article, my big complaint about Russian Sage is that it can be messy when the flowers start to drop. I've lined my driveway with them, though, and they look great. The ultimate in low maintenance.
This message was edited Apr 27, 2008 7:29 AM
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Subject: Hope 4 LowWater Okla gardening
Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on April 26, 2008 at 2:33 PM:
I think I love this plant already. Anything that thrives in 105 degrees, is cold hardy for the few weeks of Northern cold that dips into Oklahoma, doesn't need to ton of continually watering and yet is pretting, is worth trying. Thanks for the article!
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Subject: Beautious !!!
Posted by MarilynneS (from Thunder Bay Ontario
(Canada)) on April 26, 2008 at 10:21 AM:
D'ya think it could be grown in Northern Canada .. Zone 3a ?
~M~
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Posted by CMoxon (from Urbandale, IA) on April 26, 2008 at 1:30 PM:
Can't hurt to try it (although I would suggest a heavy mulch for winter). Especially if you put it near a large rock (that would get warm in the summer sun and keep the surrounding soil a little warmer as a result) or if you put it near a house foundation. In particular the "Little Spire" dwarf cultivar is listed in numerous places as hardy to zone 4, which should be less of a stretch for you with some winter protection. And in fact, this website (not that I can vouch for its accuracy) specifically recommends Perovskia for zone 3! Unfortunately they list it under "S" for sage, which of course makes me question their accuracy on other things, but like I say, it can't hurt to try.
Posted by fancyvan (from Calgary, AB) on April 27, 2008 at 12:03 AM:
Certainly can Marilyn. I have some in my back yard and I see it in lots of gardens in Calgary.
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Posted by MarilynneS (from Thunder Bay Ontario
(Canada)) on April 27, 2008 at 6:41 AM:
Well ... I'm gonna try it along, or, at the end of our driveway .. it's quite long and full sun .. and I think it'd look GREAT at the entrance way :-)
Thanks so much for your thoughts on that :-)
~M~
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Posted by fancyvan (from Calgary, AB) on April 27, 2008 at 9:56 AM:
Marilynne mine tends to grow rather spindley even though it is in a sunny location so I would recommend putting about 3 plants together.
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Posted by MarilynneS (from Thunder Bay Ontario
(Canada)) on April 27, 2008 at 12:09 PM:
GREAT idea Fancy .. thanks :-)
~M~
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Subject: I love this plant
Posted by darius (from Marion, VA) on April 26, 2008 at 3:07 AM:
I love it for all the reasons you mentioned... basically that I can ignore it and it thrives!
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Posted by GrannyLois (from Blountville, TN) on April 26, 2008 at 7:25 AM:
I just bought 4 of these last weekend at the Asheville Farmer's Market. Seeing this article was very timely for me - thank you!
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on April 26, 2008 at 1:50 PM:
It's one of my favorites in my cottage-style garden, and I've also seen them used very effectively as "backdrop" hedge plantings or to anchor entrances in formal rose gardens. That cloud of cool silvery foliage and misty lavender-blue blooms is just wonderful!
When you say you give them a light pruning down to about 6 inches... you don't mean you cut them back to within 6 inches of the ground, do you? I wasn't sure how to interpret this... and I'm never quite sure how to prune mine. Early this spring, before new growth really got underway, I pruned mine back so I had just a couple inches left on all the vigorous looking branches. I got rid of the spindly upper growth (mine hadn't been pruned in a while). Looks like I'm getting some new growth from the bottom now as well as good growth from those branch points, so maybe I guessed right.
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Posted by rebeccanne (from Gold Beach, OR) on April 26, 2008 at 7:24 PM:
I discovered this plant last year, its totally new to me. The first time I saw it I thought it was a salvia. I really like them and thanks for the article. Your sense of humor is wonderful, you are a great writer.
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Posted by TexasTam (from Plano, TX) on April 30, 2008 at 11:28 AM:
Hey Critter,
Sorry for the pruning confusion. I should have clarified this a little better. In winters past, I have pruned my R. Sage down to the point where the existing plant was only 6" high. They have responded well to this; new growth also came up from the ground. This past spring, however, I did what you did and just kind of trimmed the ratty tops off. Both methods seem to work just fine...Russian Sage is thankfully pretty forgiving, except when placed in shade or overwatered.
TexasTam
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on April 30, 2008 at 2:30 PM:
Wow, you really did trim it almost all the way to the ground... I may try this if mine get really ratty looking again. I never seem to have the nerve to do radical pruning, without specific advice. Thanks!
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Posted by TexasTam (from Plano, TX) on April 30, 2008 at 3:00 PM:
Yeah, it's scary, I know. I don't usually prune my woodies down that far, but doing it during winter dormancy seems to be ok, at least for Perovskia. (I wouldn't prune my rosemarys like that, though!)
