Honey, They Shrunk the Russian Sage

One of my favorite perennials is Perovskia atriplicifolia, common name Russian sage. My recollection is that Behnke’s began selling Russian Sage around 1990. I had become propagator for the Behnke’s perennial department and was dispatched to the US National Arboretum to take some cuttings from a bed of Russian sage that had recently been planted. It was new to us at that time. By 1995 it was being widely grown and was named the Perennial Plant Association’s Perennial Plant of the Year.

Russian sage has a lot going for it. Upright growth, pretty blue flowers, and a long blooming period from early summer into fall. When crushed, the foliage has a strong sort of turpentine scent. Deer tend to avoid strongly-scented plants and they leave Russian sage alone.

It thrives in hot sun and tolerates dry soil once established. If given tender loving care—fertilizer, regular watering—it can get up to five feet tall. This is not a good thing, as they tend to fall apart; that is, the stems, instead of remaining upright, fall to the side. Best grown lean and mean and in full sun.

Russian sage does not die down to the ground in the fall. Like lavender and rosemary, it has a woody base. Do not prune in the fall, but rather wait until you see new growth appear in spring (sometime in April; they break dormancy later than most perennials). Then, cut the plant back hard; down to about 6 inches from the ground.

Plant breeders and growers are always looking for improved forms of plants. This usually means “shorter” as smaller plants ship more easily and fit into most garden plans.

There have been a number of selections of Russian sage over the years, but one that really caught my eye when I was recently in Minnesota, was the Proven Winners selection called ‘Denim ‘n’ Lace.’

Proven Winners describes this cultivar as attaining a height of only 28 to 32 inches, with stronger stems and an upright growth habit. They’ve named it their “Proven Winners National Perennial of the Year” for 2020.

Try it if you have a sunny area, either in the ground or as an upright accent in a container garden.

Larry Hurley, Retired Behnke’s Horticulturist