One of several genera commonly referred to as sage, it includes two widely used herbs, Salvia officinalis (common sage, or just “sage”) and Salvia rosmarinus (rosemary, formerly Rosmarinus officinalis).

Where to plant:

Give it plenty of sun and well-draining soil, and you’re off to a great start. Salvia is a multitasker in the garden. Most sage problems are preventable with proper care. Water thoroughly after repotting to settle the soil. Gently remove the plant, place it at the same depth in the new container, and fill it with fresh mix.

Growing and Maintaining Sage

Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees all love it, which makes it a great plant for pollinator gardens. Rockin’® Fuchsia (Salvia hybrid) is a wonderful annual with vibrant flowers each with a black calyx on tough plants. Salvia plants come in a wide range of sizes, growth habits and flower colors. Apply a balanced time-release fertilizer in spring or spread a thin layer of compost around the base of plants. Soil that is too rich may cause plants to become leggy and stems to fall over. Follow these steps and space salvia plants 1 to 6 feet apart, depending on the variety.

Add bright summer-long color by growing this sage with ‘Oranges and Lemons’ gaillardia. Discovered in Australia, ‘Wendy’s Wish’ (Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’) shows off bright pink-purple flowers from late spring to early fall. In addition, blue sage is a perfect planting partner for purple-leafed shrubs like ‘Summer Wine’ ninebark.

Planting Salvia

Some salvias are considered annuals and others perennials. This fast-growing, evergreen shrub is a popular garden plant in the Southwest. ‘Evolution’ has a long blooming season and is a perfect choice for meadow or cottage-style gardens, planted in containers, window boxes, beds and borders. With fragrant flowers and foliage, as well as salt tolerance, it’s a great choice for diverse garden settings. One of the best salvias for your garden; works wonderfully in heat and humidity. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees all love this plant, making it a great choice for pollinator gardens.

Perennials

Like most other salvias, it offers scented foliage, so deer and rabbits usually leave it alone. It’s an excellent salvia plant for growing as an annual in containers, especially in northern areas. It displays silvery-green leaves edged in creamy white and blushed with purple. Grown primarily for its foliage, tricolor sage (Salvia officinalis ‘Tricolor’) combines the best features of other sages. It produces purplish-blue flowers on spikes in late Salvia Information spring.

Blooming in early spring, tricolor sage reaches heights of 18 inches and loves full sun. Mystic spires blue salvia (Salvia longispicata x farinacea ‘Mystic Spires Blue’) grows up to 3 feet in height, with spikes of blue flowers (hence its name). Plant during the late spring or even early summer to take advantage of its blooms.

A fast-growing selection, ‘Hot Lips’ looks great in beds, borders, and containers. The notched, wrinkled, medium-green to gray-green leaves are aromatic when bruised. Noted for its pineapple aroma, ‘Golden Delicious’ (Salvia elegans ‘Golden Delicious’) features soft, hairy, light green leaves up to 3 inches long on square stems. It’s a top pick for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

HOW TO PLANT SALVIA

Choose a site with full sun to partial shade (at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun) and well-drained soil. In your area, it is best to just leave the stems alone until early spring—when the chance of frost has passed—and new growth begins. Pests and diseases are rarely an issue for salvia growers. Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag, trying to position the bag so that it does not touch the foliage.

For shrub types, remove dead, diseased or damaged branches, cut back the entire plant by a third to half of its size, and shape as needed. For herbaceous perennials, remove dead stems back to the ground when new growth begins to emerge. Allow soil to dry out between waterings and irrigate when the top 2 inches of soil becomes dry. When growing in pots, use a high quality all-purpose potting mix.

Yugoslavian Cut Leaf Sage

• If you’re using nursery plants, wait until the frost danger has passed before setting them out.
• This hybrid sage, discovered in Argentina, is an excellent choice for coastal California, as well as western Washington and Oregon.
• To add more color to your garden, contrast this sage’s burgundy foliage with variegated ‘Tequila Sunrise’ coreopsis.
• The former has genuinely blue flowers, which is somewhat unusual and thus highly desirable.
• If your garden doesn’t offer these conditions, don’t worry—sage grows beautifully in containers too.

With a watchful eye and prompt action, you’ll keep your sage plants thriving and productive. These steps ensure your sage survives winter and thrives in the coming growing season, whether in the garden or in pots. Protect outdoor sage plants with light mulch and shelter from harsh winds.

‘Evolution’ (Salvia farinacea ‘Evolution’) won an All-America Selections award for its masses of deep violet-purple flowers that appear from early summer into fall. Like other forms of blue salvia, it shines with silvery foliage and adapts to different soil types. It will attract butterflies to your garden from spring to fall. Commonly called scarlet sage, this plant flowers all summer long and is great for containers.

Bring the Drama (and the Pollinators)—Salvia’s in Bloom!

The former has genuinely blue flowers, which is somewhat unusual and thus highly desirable. They add a burst of color to any garden but they can also work medicinally and for culinary purposes, such as for seasoning. Salvia plants are easy to grow and propagate. Salvias, also called sage, are part of the mint (Lamiaceae) plant family. To overwinter in containers, plant them in the ground in a sheltered spot by early fall. Removing flowers after they have faded will promote rebloom.

• Some members are important as sources of flavouring, and many are grown as garden ornamentals.
• Extremely drought-tolerant, purple sage makes a lovely silver foliage accent in native plant gardens.
• Salvia is a multitasker in the garden.
• Your sage will thrive, and your garden ecosystem will benefit too.
• Most salvia plants are easy to grow, drought-tolerant, bloom abundantly, and look gorgeous in the landscape.

Make a bold impression by planting silver sage with cardoon, which also presents eye-catching silvery leaves. It’s so lovely, many gardeners cut off the flowers to keep the focus on the foliage. Get double the true-blue effect by growing gentian sage with leadwort. Long-blooming ‘Coral Nymph’ (Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’) is covered in spikes of coral-pink flowers from early summer to frost. Contrast this variety’s rich blue flowers and upright habit with a silvery skirt of trailing licorice plant. It’s a good selection for cutting and makes a beautiful accent when planted with deep blue flowers.

Salvias (also called sages) are a diverse group of plants that offer colorful flowers, scents, and flavors. Tricolor sage (Salvia officinalis ‘Tricolor’) has silvery green foliage with creamy white edges with hints of purple. Yugoslavian cut leaf sage (Salvia jurisicii) has beautiful feathery foliage with blue-purple flowers. While it has attractive purple flowers, the plants don’t bloom readily, and the stalks are prone to breaking. Like other salvias, autumn sage will attract bees and butterflies to your garden.

It’s a species that hybridizes easily, meaning it has a variety of hybrids and cultivars. Baby sage (Salvia microphylla) is an evergreen shrub. It’s a semi-evergreen perennial that reaches up to 3 feet in height. Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) earned its name for the exact reason you’d expect–hummingbirds love it.

Propagate sage through stem cuttings in spring when growth is active. Your sage will thrive, and your garden ecosystem will benefit too. Regular trimming during the growing season helps maintain the plant’s shape and promotes bushiness. At this point, it’s best to replace them with new plants for better harvests. For culinary sage, less fertilizer actually leads to more flavorful leaves.