Russian Sage (Salvia yangii)

How much light does a Russian Sage need?

Full sun is the right place for Russian sage. That means six or more hours of direct sunlight a day. Plant it in full sun and well-drained soil. Its preferred light is full sun, and no other light level is listed. The flowers are blue and purple, and they appear from June to October.

• Light: Full sun^1,2

How often to water a Russian Sage

Dry to medium moisture suits this plant. The recorded range runs from dry at one end to medium at the other. Medium moisture is the upper end of what the record lists. Its preferred setting is full sun in well-drained soil that is occasionally dry. Look for soil that is well drained and dries out at times.

• Water: Dry to medium¹

Best soil for a Russian Sage

Well-drained soil is what Russian sage grows best in. The record also describes the soil as occasionally dry. Plant it in full sun and well-drained soil. Its water range runs from dry to medium. The preferred setting pairs full sun with well-drained, occasionally dry soil. Root rot is the one disease recorded for this plant in the verified facts. No cited source gives a preferred soil pH.

• Soil drainage: Well drained and occasionally dry¹

Hardiness and temperature

USDA zones 5a to 9b are the hardiness range on record. That span covers ten half-zone steps, from 5a through 9b. Zone 7a sits near the middle of that listed span. The coldest zone listed is 5a and the warmest is 9b. Russian sage is a deciduous plant. It is classed as a shrub. No cited source records a minimum temperature for it.

• Hardiness: Zones 5a–9b³

Pruning a Russian Sage

Cut the stems back to several inches above the ground in early spring. The pruning type recorded is hard renewal. The purpose of the cut, in the source's words, is to stimulate good seasonal growth. Early spring is the only pruning time recorded. Russian sage is classed as a shrub, and it is deciduous.

• Pruning: Hard renewal pruning (Mar–Apr)³

How to plant a Russian Sage

Choose a spot with full sun and well-drained soil. Russian sage suits USDA zones 5a to 9b. A mature plant spreads 2–4 ft (0.61–1.22 m). Its mature height is 2–3 ft (0.61–0.91 m). Full sun means six or more hours of direct sunlight a day. The flowers are blue and purple. They open from June to October.

• Hardiness: Zones 5a–9b³

Winter care

The coldest zone listed for Russian sage is 5a. The listed span runs from 5a at the cold end to 9b at the warm end. It is a deciduous shrub. Cut the stems back to several inches above the ground in early spring. That pruning type is hard renewal. Zone 9b is the warmest zone on record. No minimum temperature is documented for it.

• Hardiness: Zones 5a–9b³

How to propagate a Russian Sage

You can propagate Russian sage by seed, stem cuttings or division. Stem cuttings and seeds both work for this sage. Division is possible, but slow. Expect slow results if you choose division. Division is the one method the record calls slow. That gives three methods in all: seed, stem cuttings and division.

• Propagation: Seed, stem cuttings and division^1,2

Common problems

No serious insect or disease problems are recorded for Russian sage. No insect pests are listed for it. Another description calls it essentially free of disease and insect problems. Root rot is the one disease listed. The root rots named are phytophthora and pythium. Some cultivars have shown a fair amount of resistance to both.

• Common pests: ^3,2
• Common diseases: root rot¹

Questions and answers

How much sun does Russian sage need?

Russian sage needs full sun, which the source defines as six or more hours of direct sunlight a day. It is planted in full sun and well-drained soil.

When should I prune Russian sage?

Cut the stems back to several inches above the ground in early spring. The pruning type recorded is hard renewal. The cut is meant to stimulate good seasonal growth.

How do you propagate Russian sage?

You can use seed, stem cuttings or division. Division is possible, but slow. That makes three recorded methods in all. Stem cuttings and seed are the other two.