The Plant Guide

Browse the Full Plant Guide

Common sage

Salvia officinalis

SAL-vee-ah oh-fi-shi-NAH-lis Audio

Cooks and gardeners alike are indebted to this classic, evergreen perennial for the unique, pungent flavor and aroma that its gray-green leaves produce. It forms a 2½-foot-tall by 3-foot-wide bush with woody stems that may be trimmed back to newly emerging growth or strong stems in spring. In early to mid-summer, it sends up lavender-purple flower spikes; it has both ornamental and culinary qualities in an herb garden. It tolerates alkaline soils but not wet winter conditions.

Noteworthy CharacteristicsButterflies love salvia.

CareProvide moist but well-drained soil in full sun. This species tolerates alkaline soil.

PropagationSow seed, or divide plants, in spring. Take cuttings spring through fall.

ProblemsPowdery mildew, rust, stem rot, fungal leaf spots, whiteflies, aphids, mealybugs, spider mites

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs.
Buy at Amazon

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Doug Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area.
Buy at Amazon

Pruning Simplified: A Step-by-Step Guide to 50 Popular Trees and Shrubs

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Pruning Simplified shows you exactly how to do it. This must-have guide offers expert advice on the best tools for the job, specific details on when to prune, and clear instructions on how to prune. Profiles of the 50 most popular trees and shrubs—including azaleas, camellias, clematis, hydrangeas, and more—include illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions that will ensure you make the right cut the first time.
Buy at Amazon
  • Genus : Salvia
  • Plant Height : 1 to 3 feet
  • Plant Width : 1 to 3 feet
  • Zones : 5, 6, 7, 8
  • Uses : Containers, Ground Covers
  • Tolerance : Deer Tolerant, Drought Tolerant, Frost Tolerant
  • Moisture : Dry to Medium
  • Bloom Time : Early Summer, Summer
  • Characteristics : Fragrant Foliage
  • Light : Full Sun
  • Maintenance : Low
  • Growth Rate : Moderate
  • Plant Type : Perennials
  • Plant Seasonal Interest : Spring Interest

Plant Characteristics are only available to Fine Gardening members

Sign up for a free trial and get instant access to our complete plant guide as well as our entire collection of articles and videos.

Start Free Trial

Already a member?

X

Related Plants

Related Articles

More From the Plant Guide

Search our database of 1738 Plants

Winter Interest

Partial Shade

Browse the Full Plant Guide

Fine Gardening Magazine

Fine Gardening – Issue 221
Tips for Upcycling Garden Trash into Useful Tools
Fine Gardening – Issue 220
End-of-Season Regrets | Letter from the Editor
Fine Gardening – Issue 219
All Gardens Have Teachable Moments | Letter from the Editor
Fine Gardening – Issue 218
Gardening Against All Odds | Letter from the Editor
Fine Gardening

Follow

Newsletter

Membership & Magazine

Taunton Network

© 2024 Active Interest Media. All rights reserved.

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.