Illustration
Russian Sage
Salvia yangii
Russian Sage blooms from July through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Russian Sage
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–9. Expect it to reach about 4 ft tall and 3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years (checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Russian Sage. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Fifteen fields were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it, with every unsettled point written down and decided: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, soil, diseases, pests, toxicity, the plant's own names, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Russian Sage
Plant Russian Sage in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 9, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from July to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Russian Sage get?
4 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult3 ftwideSee Russian Sage in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Russian Sage
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Russian Sage about 3 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Russian Sage to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Russian Sage's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, years to mature size, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity were checked against 8 published sources on August 15, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, soil, diseases and pests
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil and diseases
- University of Illinois ExtensionIllinois Extensionheight, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags and soil
- Proven Winnersspread, hardiness zones, water, soil, pests and toxicity
- University of Wisconsin HorticultureWisconsin Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Ex...height, hardiness zones, water, years to mature size, soil and diseases
- Chicago Botanic Gardensun, bloom months and color, diseases and pests
- The Morton Arboretumhardiness zones, soil and pests
- ASPCAtoxicity
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Russian Sage
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
It blooms on new wood, so each spring cut every stem back hard to about 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 in), or it grows woody and floppy. per Wisconsin and Missouri Botanical
How cold-hardy is it?
Sources split at the cold edge: Wisconsin says zones 4 to 9, others say 5 to 9. In zone 4, give it sharp drainage and a sheltered spot. per Wisconsin and NC State
Height depends on cultivar
Reported height varies with cultivar: the vigorous species reaches 3 to 5 ft, while compact selections like 'Little Spire' stay 2 to 3 ft. Pick one that fits. per Missouri Botanical and Illinois
Drainage makes or breaks it
It needs poor, gritty, sharply drained soil and tolerates alkaline ground. Wet soil, especially over winter, rots the crown and roots; good drainage carries it through. per Wisconsin
Deer and rabbit resistant
The finely cut, silvery, aromatic foliage deters browsing, and it appears on standard deer-resistant plant lists. No plant is deer-proof under severe pressure, but this one is dependable. per Clemson and NC State
Late-season pollinator magnet
The long, nectar-rich, late bloom draws bees and butterflies, with hummingbirds too, feeding pollinators when many other perennials have already finished for the year. per NC State and UC ANR
Perovskia, renamed Salvia yangii
Long sold as Perovskia atriplicifolia, it was reclassified into the genus Salvia and is now correctly Salvia yangii. Plant tags and stores still use the old name. per NC State and Wisconsin
What pairs well with Russian Sage
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Sea Thrift
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Creeping Sedum
Shares full sun and low water; low at 4 in, to carpet the ground beneath; opens in early summer and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; low at 4 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Thyme
Shares full sun and low water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both are strong pollinator plants.
Giant Allium
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; lower at 3 ft, for the front of the border.
Crocus
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late winter, extending the bed's season; low at 4 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Lavender
Shares full sun and low water; opens in early summer and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Grape Hyacinth
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
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