- Russian sage is a striking undiscovered cut flower that draws butterflies and bees.
- Perfectly complements other low-water plants like lavender, sedum, and ornamental grasses. It also gets along well with succulents with bold leaves like big agaves and aloes.
- In addition to xeriscapes, hillsides, and rock landscapes, Russian sage blends in with deer-frequented, Mediterranean-themed gardens.
With Russian sage planted, what looks good?
Russian Sage is a wispy plant, so it looks great planted alongside another flower that can pick up the violet-blue of its numerous flower panicles and “grow through it,” like coneflower (Echinacea spp.), globe thistle (Echinops ritro), or tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis). The tall tawny grasses maiden grass (Miscanthus spp.) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), as well as the sharp vertical lines of “Karl Foerster” feather reed grass, look stunning in combination with it (Calamagrostis x acutiflora).
Consider placing Russian sage along a walkway as a “hedge,” especially in a gravel garden where its color contrasts stunningly with the camel-colored pea gravel found there. Russian sage loves to spread its long arms out in the garden, so make sure to leave enough of room for growth.
Additional Uses: Russian sage’s scented foliage and blooms have a relaxing effect on the nervous system. In traditional medicine, it is applied topically to lower fevers and is also brewed into a tea.
Russian sage has several blossoms that attract bees, and because it attracts so many pollinators in the summer, it is a wonderful addition to a pollinator-friendly landscape. Russian sage is a fantastic choice for gardeners with oceanfront properties because it tolerates salt and does well in a variety of soil types.
What flowers complement sage well?
Sage is a beneficial companion plant that also keeps pests away. Sage attracts pollinators when allowed to bloom. Sage works well as a border for vegetable plots because it can develop into a bush.
- 1. Brassicas: Place sage in close proximity to plants in the cabbage family, such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, and kohlrabi. Brassicas are attacked by black flea beetles, cabbage loopers, cabbage worms, cabbage maggots, and cabbage moths, all of which are repelled by sage.
- Sage deters the carrot rust flies.
- 3. Strawberries: Sage can help ward off pests and improve the flavor of strawberries.
- 4. Tobacco plants benefit from sage’s ability to repel flea beetles and draw in helpful insects. Combine sage with cilantro or dill, both of which are spider mite repellent, if spider mites are your primary tomato pest. Calendula or borage can help tomatoes with tomato hornworm problems by repelling the pest without damaging the plant.
- Sage is one of the few herbs that grows well with rosemary, according to 5.Rosemary. For a spicy herb garden, consider planting sage and rosemary together.
What sages the Russian?
Russian sage perennially has lavender-purple flowers. These tall, airy flowers provide a lavender-blue color cloud.
Russian sage blooms from July until October, one month after Salvia.
Foliage & Branching Habits: Like Salvia, Russian Sage belongs to the mint family. It has square stems, opposite blue-green leaves, and a similar appearance. Rubbing Russian sage leaves releases a minty scent as well. With its fern-like foliage, Russian Sage sets itself apart from Salvia. It gets pretty tall and spreads out low before drooping heavily to the ground.
Size & Growth: Russian Sage matures to a height of about 3 feet and a width of at least 3 feet. It is a shrub-like plant with woody stems.
Russian sage can withstand drought and is insect and deer resistant. Their enticing aroma attracts pollinators. Russian Sage is a wonderful partner for succulents, ornamental grasses, butterfly bushes, and other perennials like cone flowers, milkweed, and bee balm since it enjoys the heat and summer sun. Early spring is the best time to prune Russian Sage.
Is Russian sage contagious?
Russian sage can be planted using a few tips that will aid in the plant’s establishment in your garden.
Place your planting first. For the Russian sage to flourish, full sun is necessary. Plants tend to flop open as stems stretch for sunlight when given a little shade. A stretch along a driveway or an area with high sun that gets as hot as the area between a sidewalk and a street are good choices. Russian sage enjoys heat and sunlight.
When planting Russian sage, keep in mind that this lovely plant dislikes two things: high humidity, and soil that remains wet all year. Select a planting location with alkaline, dry soil or ordinary, well-drained soil. Both soil types are compatible with Russian sage. Plants often become slack and floppy in overly fertile soil. Insert hoop stakes or support stems with stakes and string in this situation.
Plants mature at a height of 3 to 5 feet and a spread of 2 to 4 feet. Russian sage grows in clumps, so provide the plants some room to expand by placing them about three feet apart or three feet away from other plants in the garden.
At your preferred plant store, keep an eye out for containers of Russian sage. Russian sage can be planted any time between early spring and six weeks before the first frost, but late spring is the best time. The earth is now warm, and plants should begin to grow swiftly. If you decide to plant Russian sage later in the summer, make sure to water the soil frequently as the young plants grow.
There are numerous types of Russian sage for sale. The straight species can reach heights of 3 to 5 feet and widths of 2 to 4 feet. Russian sage known as “Little Spire” is a scaled-down kind that grows only 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. Russian sage known as “Blue Spire” has stems that may grow up to three feet tall and wide and is known to grow more uprightly than other varieties.
In the correct circumstances, Russian sage can self-sow and can also spread via rhizomes. Gardeners claim that this perennial bloom can occasionally be invasive. The National Invasive Species database does not, however, report or list it as such. Keep an eye out for spreading stems in the garden. As you find them, pull and cut them.
What can I grow with Russian sage and denim?
Russian sage can be a beast in the landscape, happy to overgrow its neighbors and rule the roost, as anyone who has ever cultivated it will attest. We are therefore very happy to present to you this newer type, which is as polite as a Sunday school child. It stands tall all season without leaning on anyone and is just as floriferous as its cousins, if not more so. It only needs a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day and a small amount of water during dry spells. This perennial is the real “plant it and forget it” variety!
Find a place in your landscape that is somewhat dry and gets a lot of sun. You ought to sow some Russian sage there. Save your energy for more needed plants as a result of its strong constitution, which means it likes not to be pampered. This one can stand up to the wind, salt spray, thirst, sun, and heat on its own.
Know that this perennial will not enjoy the extra step if you like to add compost and other nutrient-rich substances to the soil before planting. It will actually thrive in less fertile soils with lower levels of organic matter. The only prerequisite is that the soil be well-drained; alkaline soil is preferred. The roots of this plant don’t like to be moist for a long time, especially in the winter.
Pick an area that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of sunshine per day. Even in warm climates, Russian sage does not require any shade. It may stretch and lean due to excessive shade, moisture, or rich soil.
Russian sage should be planted in the spring to give it time to build its extensive, woody root system before the onset of winter. If planting later in the season, mulch the plant’s base with two to three layers to protect the roots during the first growing season.
When you pull the plant out of the pot, if the roots are tightly round one other, loosen them up a little to disrupt the “root memory.” By doing this, they will be encouraged to expand rather than keep growing in a circle.
Make sure the rootball of the plant is level with the top of the surrounding dirt before placing it in the hole. After that, re-fill the hole with the removed soil. To get rid of any significant air pockets around the roots, firmly press it down with your hand.
To help the dirt settle, water the plant one last time. It will require a little more water during the first season as it establishes itself than it will in following years. As soon as the plant’s roots are established, it will be able to seek out the moisture it needs from the soil, becoming independent.
Russian sage requires very little maintenance once it has been planted in the proper location. This perennial really requires little maintenance.
The most crucial thing to keep in mind when caring for this plant is not to spoil it. It can die from excessive feeding or watering. Your plant is either receiving too many nutrients, insufficient sunlight, or excessive water if it is yellowing, stretching, or flopping.
Watch the buds on its woody stems begin to swell in the spring. It’s time to prune when it’s clear which portions of the plant are exhibiting new growth and which aren’t. Cut the stems back to the first green bud if no new leaves appear close to the tops of the stems. If a stem isn’t exhibiting any new growth, it can be totally cut out.
Every spring, put a layer of compost around the base of the plant if you garden in thick clay soil and wish to keep the soil texture improving. When adding the additional soil, be careful not to bury the crown. No more plant food is required because it will supply all the nutrients the season will need.
Leave your Russian sage plant standing in the fall (don’t cut it back), and when the new growth comes in the spring, prune as mentioned above.
Russian sage is rarely bothered by pests, including deer, due to its fragrant foliage and woody stems.
When choosing what to plant alongside your new Russian sage, start by looking for plants that benefit from comparable growing circumstances.
Specifically, vegetation that favors full sunlight, low moisture content, and lean soil.
You could opt to plant ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ alongside perennials that bloom sooner, like ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ catmint, ‘Color Spires’ salvia, or ‘Midnight Masquerade’ penstemon because it flowers from July to early fall. They will add color early in the growing season and look lovely against the Russian sage’s silvery-green foliage.
Plant “Denim ‘n Lace” alongside other perennials that bloom at the same time, such as Color CodedTM coneflowers, PyromaniaTM red hot pokers, and Rock ‘n Grow sedums, to provide a burst of color all at once.
Plant something taller and of a different color behind ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ to truly let the sky blue blossoms stand out. Russian sage looks particularly lovely with colors like yellow and purple. It might pair well with the Summer Wine ninebark, Kodiak Black diervilla, or Sunshine Blue II bluebeard, which has gold-leaved plants.
top 3 reasons to grow
Beginning in July, this perennial blooms prettily nonstop for months with hardly any maintenance.
Pollinating bees and perhaps a few hummingbirds stop by these flowers for a lunchtime snack almost every day.
‘Denim ‘n Lace’ won’t flop upon its neighbors or take up too much space in the yard, unlike earlier Russian sages.
Love the way “Denim ‘n Lace” Perovskia sparkles? Shop online or at your neighborhood garden center to find it.
Reduce the amount of Russian sage?
Russian sage is a fuss-free perennial that adds color all season long and is drought resistant. With a modest 28- to 32-inch height, “Denim ‘n Lace” manages the towering and floppy growth of classic Russian sage. Plants that are fully colored resemble lavender. In Zones 4–9, hardy. Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ is its botanical name.
Pruning Russian sage requires courage. Russian sage pruning can be intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, your plants will become stronger and fuller and put up a more attractive flower display. Although taking tip cuttings may qualify as a pruning action by genuine botanists, pruning is not a part of the propagation of Russian sage.
Russian sage is normally pruned by the regular gardener at the beginning and end of the growth season. With its purple flower spires, Russian sage creates a purple haze in gardens starting in mid- to late summer. The silver-gray stems are encircled by whorls of the fuzzy blossoms, creating an intriguing sight. Plantings are given a great dramatic flair by foot-long flower heads. Pruning Russian sage in the spring properly paves the way for a stunning flower display.
Russian sage’s stems change from being green, soft, and succulent to having a woody component as it ages throughout the growing season. This kind of perennial flower is referred to by gardeners as a semi-woody perennial or shrubby perennial. Russian sage stems should be cut back to 18 inches at the end of the flowering season in cold climates, when the blooms have faded and a deadly frost has occurred. For a more interesting winter garden view, skip the pruning and leave the stems alone. In the coldest regions where Russian sage is hardy, it is good to leave stems in place. zone 4 and zone 5.
Stems freeze as winter approaches and subfreezing temperatures take hold. Depending on how cold it gets and how long it lasts, stems may or may not freeze to the point of death. Russian sage has two sites where new growth appears in the spring: the stems and the plant’s crown, which is where the stem tissue and roots converge. Typically, the crown is hardly visible above ground.
On Russian sage, a harsh winter may kill all of the aboveground stems, and only the crown produces new growth. Stems may only partially die back during milder winters. In this situation, the Russian sage would produce new growth from both the stems and the crown.
Snip stems back to 12 to 18 inches as springtime approaches. Leave 18 inches in place if you’re cleaning up your garden well before the last average frost date. Cut stems down to 12 inches or less if there is no longer any risk of frost.
Zones 4 to 9 are hardy for Russian sage. It might not die back significantly, if at all, throughout the winter in warmer areas. After the blossoms have faded and when winter has arrived, Russian sage should be pruned in regions with mild winters. If you don’t want to see stems throughout the winter, you can give them a severe pruning now, trimming them to a height of 6 to 12 inches. Otherwise, wait until very early spring or late winter to perform a rigorous pruning.
Pruning Russian sage right after after flowering in regions with lengthy growing seasons might encourage a second flush of bloom. Reduce plant growth by 50% to promote reblooming.