Landscape Maintenance – Russian Sage

Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is a low water perennial primarily planted because it flowers profusely from late spring until frost. Russian Sage grows with upright, whitish gray stems reaching 3’ – 4’ tall. Russian Sage has a strong scent especially if stems or leaves are rubbed or bruised. Russian Sage produces abundant spires of small, tubular flowers of blue or lavender color. These spires sometimes reach 1’ -2’ in height.

After the first frosts arrive, Russian Sage goes dormant and its entire mass looks gray brown or dead.

Remnant flowers turn white.

Maintain Russian Sage by cutting back last season’s growth to about 4” – 8” in late fall through early spring before new growth resumes.

It can also be cut back to the ground without any detrimental effect. Removing this gray brown growth ensures the entire plant is a beautiful green when new growth pushes out the following spring.

Russian Sage grows best in full sun, with low to regular water. It is also very heat and drought tolerant. Russian Sage is Hardy to USDA zone 4.

Contact Trees That Please Nursery for more information.

Photos & Narrative By:

Stephen Sain
Staff Plant Physiologist

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