'Blue Spire' has a 3-foot-tall, upright form with deeply lobed leaves and dark purple flowers. 'Little Spire' grows to just 2 feet tall. The curious thing, in addition to the name confusion, is that America has other close relatives (members of the same genus, congeners) of the European sages and Europe has other congeners of the American sages. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. When you rub the leaves of Russian Sage, you also get a minty aroma. For example, sage is commonly used to flavor stuffing. Several Russian sage varieties are available on the market. The plant does sprawl a bit, so it can be used atop a wall to spill over. -- MJ. This is what it looked like at some point in April-May. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. No need to deadhead, plant continue to blooms. Some people say it smells like Marijuana when burned. Russian sage's uses are many, with the plants frequently found anchoring both border and wildlife gardens. It prefers light, somewhat dry soil. The aromatic leaves emit a light herbal scent when crushed, and as noted above, are toxic if consumed. It doesn't smell so much like sage as it does pine. Q: I am growing Russian sage and I wonder if it can be eaten. Featuring clouds of tiny light blue flowers on spikes and finely dissected, fragrant, gray-green leaves, Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) works well for perennial borders, mixed borders, wildlife gardens and other landscape areas. Some even uses the flowers in tea when experiencing stomach upset. Nor the sage that grew in our local botanical gardens. ‘Blue Spire’ Russian sage tends to grow more upright than the species with stems that reach 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. The effect on each person can vary greatly depending on your body's individual reaction, but generally it is not considered toxic . Dangers of Russian Sage Because this plant is not related to the edible sage varieties, it should not be used in cooking or eaten in any matter because of its poisonous leaves. All rights reserved (About Us). 'Pozo Blue' is a hybrid between Purple Sage and Cleveland Sage. This perennial has silvery-green leaves with a gently serrated edge and if you rub the leaves between your fingers they emanate a strong yet fantastic smell. Russian sage. PRUNING: Pruning is important to maintain the best flowering. That is also what I thought. Sage belongs to the same family as rosemary, mint, and basil, but it has a particularly pungent earthiness with some astringency and a spicy, resinous character a bit like the smell of eucalyptus and pine (and some say similar to weed).It has some measure of inherent sweetness, but put too much in your food and it’ll overpower everything with an unpleasant bitterness. The smell of White Sage is so strong that just rubbing its fuzzy leaves between your fingers is enough to release the scent. Is Russian sage fast growing? Russian sage can provide a pretty border to deter hungry deer from your veggies and plants. PLANTING: Plant in full sun. ‘Little Spire’ Russian sage is a smaller version, reaching a tidy 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. Both Russian Sage and Lemon Verbena are known for cooking, but they have distinct smells that keep mosquitoes away. At this point, soil is warm and plants should start growing quickly. -- Vern Nelson; thehungrygardener@yahoo.com. 'Pozo Blue' tolerates and even thrives in sand or clay, coastal, mountain or desert gardens. Burning sage (also known as smudging) is an ancient spiritual ritual. This deciduous perennial has spires of gorgeous bluish-purple flowers, a fresh, sage-like scent and silvery, blue-green foliage. Admired for its silvery gray, fragrant foliage as much as its lavender-purple flowers, Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) makes a bold statement in the garden. Prune the plant to 10 inches high each year about March 10 to keep it vigorous. Foliage & Branching Habits: Russian Sage is also in the mint family, just like Salvia. Try sunflowers or the vivid orange of tiger lilies for more drama. The cool stuff doesn’t end there! You can gently rub a sage leaf between your fingers and sniff to get the scent. Dark blue flowers cover its foot-tall stalks. high, and 5 feet wide and has the flowers and fragrance of Musk sage but is hardy to 0 F. like Purple Sage. • Plant at the same depth it was in the pot. ( Log Out /  The best blooms emerge from the new growth. If you rub the leaves between your fingers they emanate a strong yet fantastic smell. • Small potted plants may take longer to settle in, so buy big. The scent of Russian sage is quite strong, with an almost disinfectant-like quality to it. The honey bees stay busy with all the blooms. I use the sweet-tasting flowers whole in salads but mince the leaves, which are good but assertive. Its four foot height and three foot spread is covered in light lavender flowers from June to September. My Russian sages have done very well with mulches and no additional fertilizing. As is the case with many aromatic plants, russian sage is deer and rabbit resistant. Then I looked at what the Russian sage looked like yesterday evening (August 2013). Russian Sage Care Must-Knows Earlier this morning I scrolled past this image while looking for some photos of the ongoing public humanities discussions we’ve been having concerning the Dakota Wars circa 1862-64. Some people describe it as a sage-like smell, sometimes mixed with lavender scents as well. (To me, burning White Sage just smells like burning White Sage—but the similarity is something to keep in mind if you’re going to use it in public.) © 2020 Advance Local Media LLC. Russian sage is particularly effective in the middle or back of a bed or as a mass planting. However, they can be dried and used in potpourris. Probably settlers called the American plants sages because the leaves of many species smell similar to garden sage. Russian sage is not fussy about soil pH. Smaller varieties, such as 'Little Spire,' are good as a border. Buy big case with many aromatic plants, it is also deer-resistant, and what does russian sage smell like! Of Little interest to deer or as a mass what does russian sage smell like or 2 – 2.5 m. ) when! Are known for cooking, but rather more like freesia sage that in. Same depth it was in the pot boasting fragrant and lovely lavender-blue flowers in tea experiencing... 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