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.
Spreading Russian sage plants?
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 using 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.
What must not be planted near sage?
SAGE: To ward off cabbage moths, beetles, black flea beetles, and carrot flies, grow it as a companion plant with broccoli, cauliflower, rosemary, cabbage, and carrots. Avoid planting near rue, onions, or cucumbers. Black flea beetles and cabbage moths are repelled by sage.
Are sage and lavender compatible plant partners?
Sage. In most areas, sage is a hardy perennial plant that you can cut and use well into late fall. But it also bears stunning, pollinator-favored pink or purple early summer flowers. Due to its exceptional drought tolerance, it goes well with lavender, which enjoys the heat.
Russian sage is it intrusive?
Many gardeners are on the hunt for plants that can not only survive in dry, poor soils, but also thrive there in an effort to create environmentally friendly landscapes that require the least amount of maintenance. Given all that it contributes to the landscape in terms of color, texture, pollinators, and presence, Russian sage ought to rank quite close to the top of that list. Although it is not a native plant, if you give it the well-drained conditions it requires, it won’t spread quickly and will remain where you plant it for many years.
What is the ideal spacing between Russian sage plants?
Russian sage grows best in hot, dry climates with well-draining soil. Pick a location that receives 6–8 hours of direct sunlight. Plants should be placed 2-3 feet apart using these methods.
- Dig a hole that is slightly broader and deeper than the root ball after loosening the dirt in the planting location.
- Lick up the soil surrounding the plant’s roots after removing it from the nursery pot.
- The crown of the plant should be level with the earth when it is placed in the hole.
- To get rid of air pockets, backfill the hole with soil and lightly tamp it down.
- Water wisely.
Russian sage may grow in a variety of soils, although it favors ordinary to lean soil with a pH that is slightly alkaline. When the soil is overly rich, plants may fail. Ensure that there is enough drainage to stop root rot. Use an exceptional all-purpose potting mix for your containers.
Watering: Once established, Russian sage is drought tolerant and favors medium to dry soil. Disease and root rot may result from overwatering. To promote a deep root system throughout the first growth season, water frequently.
Russian sage requires little to no additional fertilizer. Compost can be used as light mulch in the spring, if desired.
Staking: Larger plants have a tendency to floppiness. Plants may tilt or collapse due to a lack of light or an excessively rich soil environment. Staple any stalks that are sagging. Plant in groups or with other plants for support to prevent flopping.
Do honeybees enjoy sage from Russia?
Bees can find nectar on Russian sage. For a beautiful, beneficial combo that will benefit bees, combine it with pollen sources like this coneflower. The plant taxonomists have resumed their work.
Must Russian Sage be Reduced?
For us on Nantucket, Russian sage is an excellent plant because it possesses all the characteristics we value in a superb perennial:
- It is resilient and requires little particular care from the gardener to overwinter.
- Most of us on the island have a lean, sandy soil, which is where it operates best.
- Its fragrant, gray-green leaves has just the right amount of fuzz to be particularly deer resistant.
- It has a lengthy interest season, looking fantastic from June through October.
- When seasonal people are present on the island in the middle to late summer, it blooms for a very long time.
- It is extremely adaptable in the environment thanks to its lacy leaves, blue flowers, and open habit. It works well with decorative grasses, can be added to perennial gardens, and creates a striking mass planting.
I’ve also had great success pruning Russian sage in the fall when I take down my spent perennials, even though many of us have been trained to leave it standing and prune it in the spring. Wait until it is dormant, preferably after a frost, but be sure to do so.
Russian Sage should be pruned with the following goals in mind: Removing dead twigs, cutting off broken or damaged branches, and encouraging vigorous growth from a healthy foundation of stems that will bloom the next summer.
To prune Russian Sage while it’s dormant, adhere to these steps:
- Trim back all previous growth to healthy buds within 6 to 8 inches of the ground.
- Remove any damaged or broken timber as well as any dead branches.
- Remove any weak branches that won’t be able to sustain robust new ones the next season.
- In order to encourage strong, new shoots to replace the older ones, prune a couple of the oldest stems close to the soil, if possible.
I’ll share a small secret with you now that we are aware of how to prune Russian sage properly. The “Hair Cut method of pruning” is used by the majority of island landscapers because of how forgiving this plant is. Simply grab the twigs in one hand and use the other to cut them all off evenly. Or, if you’d rather, use your hedge trimmers to attack them! Any remaining dead twigs will be rapidly buried by new growth next summer.