Shrubs
A Touch of Silver for Your Xeric Garden: Russian Sage
By
Jun 14, 2005 - 2:45:00 PM

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) is a classic plant for your xeric or perennial flower garden. It features unusual silver-colored foliage and lovely lavender flowers springing out among the fern-like leaves. Russian Sage is a member of the mint family (Labiateae) and can actually be a good replacement for lavender in areas where lavendar is too cold to grow. Likes the sages, Russian Sage does have a light and appealing scent, but it is not appropriate for cooking or aromatherapy. Oddly, it is not technically a sage, which are Salvias, and it is not from Russian. The plant was named after a Russian botanist and is native to Central Asia.

A typical plant grows to be a small shrub at about 3-5 feet tall. It does well in hardiness zones 3-9 and will start to produce blooms by mid summer. Plant your Russian Sage in full sun and check your soil to make sure it drains well. Remove your plant from the pot, and place it in the soil roughly the same depth that it was situated in the container. You can plant Russian Sage from spring to early fall. Make sure you plant before any risk of frost.


By fall, you may notice that the branches will get a little woody. To promote good growth and more flowers, Russian Sage should be cut to within several inches of the soil in the spring. Picking off the dead flower heads throughout the growing season can stimulate continuing production of flowers. Remember to mulch around the base of the plant to help retain soil moisture.

Russian Sage’s subtle colors work great mixed in with Apache Plume and cactus to create a natural desert-like landscape. You can plant them in large numbers for a dramatic effect, or just one or two scattered in your landscaping. Blue fescues or other ornamentals grasses planted at the base of your Russian Sage look great as well.


Russian Sage is virtually maintenance free with no real pests or diseases to worry about. As mentioned above, keep the soil from getting too wet to avoid root-rot. Your plant may get to be a bit woody and can droop if left to grow too tall. Prune or stake your plant when appropriate.


We recommend this site provided by the Wisconsin’s Master Gardener Program as a good site to learn more about Russian Sage and how to grow it.




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