Sages, *salvia*: planting, pruning, maintenance

Botany

The sages constitute a highly diverse group comprising between 900 and 1000 species. These are annual, biennial, or perennial plants. Some of them are shrubby and can form bushes. They can be deciduous or evergreen. They have a very wide distribution, as they are found on almost all continents. Common sage grows in North Africa and Southern Europe, around the Mediterranean Basin. Salvia canariensis is a sage endemic to the Canary Islands (it does not grow anywhere else). In France, various species can be found in the wild, such as Salvia pratensis, Salvia glutinosa, or Salvia sclarea… as well as several sages that have naturalised.

The sages are part of the botanical family Lamiaceae. This family includes many medicinal and aromatic plants. Lamiaceae can be identified by various criteria: two-lipped flowers, square stems, opposite leaves, often simple and dentate… They comprise between 6000 and 7000 species. This family includes lavender, mint, rosemary, oregano… as well as plants cultivated for their aesthetic interest: monardas, nepeta, stachys…

Etymologically, the scientific name Salvia comes from the Latin Salvare, which means to save or to heal, alluding to its many medicinal properties. These properties led to the plant being widely cultivated in the Middle Ages. Even today, the most commonly used sages for their aromatic and medicinal properties are common sage and clary sage. This medicinal character is due to the presence of essential oil glands in their tissues. It is also what gives them their distinctive scent when the leaves are crushed.

Most cultivated sages are perennials, but there are also some annual species. Occasionally, some non-hardy perennial sages are grown as annuals.

Sages are relatively fast-growing plants. Most of them measure between 50 cm and 1 m in height. However, Salvia caespitosa measures only 15 cm tall, while Salvia uliginosa, the marsh sage, has a very upright habit: it bears long stems that can reach 1.5 to 2 m in height! Some species of sages form true small shrubs. Common sage has an average height, often around 70-80 cm, although compact varieties can also be found! These sometimes have a cushion-like habit, making them good ground covers, as seen in Salvia officinalis ‘Bergarrten’.

The stem of sages is square, having four angles. It is sometimes woody at the base. It takes on a beautiful purplish hue in Salvia involucrata, providing a lovely contrast with the light green foliage… Especially since this violet hue extends into the veins of the leaves!

Depending on the various varieties, sages flower between late spring and autumn. Their flowering does not all occur at the same time – some are quite early, while others are later… This allows for staggered flowering: combine different varieties to enjoy them for longer! Common sage is one of the earliest: it flowers from May until July-August. The species Salvia nemorosa, Salvia splendens, and Salvia farinacea flower in mid-summer, while Salvia guaranitica and Salvia elegans flower in autumn. The flowering of sages lasts quite a long time. For example, Salvia microphylla flowers from May-June until the frosts. Sometimes sages offer a second flowering when the faded flowers are pruned.

The diversity of sage flowers! Salvia ‘Rêve Rouge’, Salvia guaranitica (photo T. Kiya), Salvia greggii ‘Icing Sugar’, and Salvia patens ‘White Trophy’

The flowers are gathered in spikes or panicles that rise towards the sky. They can be grouped in tiers around the stem, as seen in Salvia verticillata. Sometimes, sages bear a multitude of small flowers, and it is the whole spike that is decorative. Thus, Salvia nemorosa bears very small flowers, which do not exceed 1 cm in length. At other times, the flowers are much larger and individually decorative. Those of Salvia guaranitica, Salvia splendens, and Salvia involucrata can reach 5 cm in length.

Sages offer a significant diversity of colours, often soft and bright, but can also be truly deep. There is a wide variety of blue – violet, with very beautiful shades, and sometimes very strong hues, electric blue or midnight blue. Salvia nemorosa bears flowers of a truly intense violet blue. Some sages have very bright flowers: Salvia coccinea and Salvia splendens stand out with their bright red hues. It is rarer, but some sages have yellow flowers, as seen in Salvia glutinosa. There are also varieties with white flowers. This is the case with Salvia leucantha, which, perhaps to compensate for its lack of colour, is adorned with a superb calyx, of a deep and velvety blue. As for Salvia discolor, it offers splendid flowers of an almost black hue! There are also bicoloured sages, such as Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’.

The flowers are composed of five petals fused into a tube that opens into two lips. The upper lip forms a galea, while the lower one is rather spreading and flattened. Some species have a very developed and decorative labellum (lower lip) (Salvia microphylla, Salvia jamensis…), with the upper lip being extremely reduced and barely visible. At other times, it is the opposite, with the upper lip being very large and forming a galea (Salvia pratensis…), sometimes elongated. The flowers also bear four stamens: two long and two short. The corolla tube is very long in Salvia elegans, giving the flower much delicacy. Around the petals, there are five sepals fused into a tube, which can take on pretty colours. The flowers of clary sage have large bracts, which are very decorative and sometimes coloured.

Sage is a melliferous plant, rich in nectar: it attracts pollinators, bees, butterflies… The flowers of sages are indeed adapted to insects: they land on the lower lip (which acts as a landing strip) to consume the nectar, while the stamens, placed against the upper lip, fold down onto the back of the insect, so that it carries the pollen away with it!

Salvia pratensis, Salvia nemorosa ‘Caramia’, and Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ (photo Averater)

Sages have aromatic foliage, which offers various scents: pineapple (Salvia elegans and Salvia rutilans), blackcurrant (Salvia discolor), anise (Salvia guaranitica)… In several species, the leaves are used in cooking, for example, to flavour meat, or in infusions for their medicinal properties.

Although the foliage of ornamental sages is often green, it can also be grey, bluish, or purplish… Common sage, the type species, has grey-green leaves. However, the various varieties it has given rise to offer a whole range of colours! Salvia officinalis ‘Icterina’ is remarkable for its very bright foliage, variegated with yellow! The leaves are grey in the variety ‘Bergarten’, purplish in the variety ‘Purpurascens’… But the most surprising is undoubtedly the variety ‘Tricolor’: with grey-green leaves, variegated with cream white, and tinged with purple. As for the pineapple sage ‘Golden Delicious’, it bears golden foliage, which, in combination with its bright red flowers, makes the plant extremely luminous. The leaves of Salvia argentea are very different from all other sages: they are huge, very broad, and covered in hairs, with a distinctly silvery hue.

The leaves are often oval or oblong, sometimes quite triangular, wide at the base and tapering to a point at the tip. Most varieties have dentate leaves along the edge of the lamina. The vast majority of species have entire leaves, except for Salvia jurisicii, which bears astonishing leaves, very different from other species: they are divided into extremely fine, linear leaflets, giving them a feathery appearance. The leaves of sages often have a soft, felt-like texture. They are frequently hairy or downy (Salvia officinalis). They are wrinkled in clary sage.

Sages offer very varied foliage: Salvia officinalis ‘Grower’s Friend’, Salvia involucrata, Salvia tiliifolia, and Salvia argentea ‘Artemis’

The leaves are opposite: they are arranged two by two on the stems, facing each other. Common sage and Salvia nemorosa have leaves of intermediate size, measuring between 5 and 10 cm long. There are also species with small leaves (less than 4 cm long): Salvia microphylla, Salvia greggii, Salvia jamensis… Conversely, they are large in Salvia guaranitica, Salvia hians, or Salvia verticillata… and especially in clary sage, where they can reach 20-25 cm!

The marsh sage, Salvia uliginosa, has a rhizome that allows it to spread. This also makes it easier to divide. Some sages have a tuberous root (e.g., Salvia patens).

After flowering, each flower produces four dry fruits gathered together, called achene (the whole is referred to as a tetrachene), round in shape and brown in colour.

The hardiness of sages is very variable. Common sage can withstand temperatures down to -15 °C, while others are much less hardy. Salvia splendens and Salvia patens, for example, are often grown as annuals due to their low hardiness.

The fruits of Salvia mellifera, surrounded by dried calyces (photo Curtis Clark) / The fruits and seeds of Salvia canariensis (photo Roger Culos – Museum de Toulouse)

The main varieties of sages

The most popular varieties

Our favourite varieties

Other varieties to discover

Salvia nemorosa Caradonna - Woodland Sage

Very popular, ‘Caradonna’ sage is a beautiful plant that bears slender, fine spikes composed of small flowers in a very intense violet.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 50 cm

See the product sheet

Salvia nemorosa Mainacht - Woodland Sage

This woodland sage bears deep blue-violet flowers grouped in spikes throughout the summer. It is very hardy.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the product sheet

Salvia nemorosa Schneehügel - Woodland Sage

This variety offers a generous white flowering that brightens up borders from the beginning to the end of summer. Its flowers are gathered in upright terminal spikes pointing towards the sky.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 50 cm

See the product sheet

Salvia officinalis Berggarten

This culinary sage forms a rounded clump with grey, downy foliage. Its leaves are aromatic, and you can harvest them to flavour dishes or for their medicinal properties. This variety is also a good ground cover.

• Flowering time July, August
• Height at maturity 80 cm

See the product sheet

Salvia uliginosa African Skies

This is a large sage with a very airy habit. It bears long, fairly flexible upright stems, at the top of which are grouped lovely sky-blue flowers.

• Flowering time September to November
• Height at maturity 1,50 m

See the product sheet

 

Salvia guaranitica Black and Blue - Shrubby Sage

This large sage, almost shrubby, is valued for its stunning flowers in a very deep electric blue, highlighted by dark-coloured sepals. It also bears large light green leaves.

• Flowering time September to November
• Height at maturity 1,75 m

See the product sheet

Salvia buchananii Love and Wishes

This sage has purple stems, on which are arranged spike flowers of a dark pink – purplish, almost red hue. They provide a lovely contrast with the slightly darker sepals.

• Flowering time August to November
• Height at maturity 55 cm

See the product sheet

Salvia jamensis Violette de Loire

This variety offers small purple flowers tinged with dark blue, with a broad and flattened lower lip.

• Flowering time June to December
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the product sheet

Salvia microphylla Royal Bumble

This is a bushy sage that bears small bright red flowers with a very developed lower lip. The stems and sepals have a darker hue, which adds more intensity to the flowering! It has been awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

• Flowering time June to December
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the product sheet

 

Salvia pratensis - Meadow Sage

Meadow Sage bears beautiful blue flowers in spikes. It is also a medicinal plant! It can be found in the wild in France.

• Flowering time July to September
• Height at maturity 75 cm

See the product sheet

Salvia elegans Pineapple

Native to Mexico, this is a fairly large plant that bears very beautiful bright red flowers. Its foliage has a surprising pineapple aroma, and it can be used in cooking, particularly in exotic dishes or desserts!

• Flowering time October to December
• Height at maturity 80 cm

See the product sheet

Salvia involucrata Bethelii

Very different from other varieties, Salvia involucrata ‘Bethelii’ is a large sage that bears very elongated spikes of bright pink flowers, as they are tubular. Its stems are purplish and its foliage is a very bright green!

• Flowering time August to December
• Height at maturity 1,30 m

See the product sheet

Salvia discolor

This sage offers surprising flowers that are almost black. Its foliage has a blackcurrant fragrance!

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the product sheet

 

Planting sage

Where to plant?

Sage thrives in warm locations; it is best to plant it in full sun, or in light shade. When planted in sunlight, it will produce even more aromatic foliage! In northern France, it is important to provide a very sunny spot, so do not hesitate to plant it against a south-facing wall. In warmer regions, you can place it in light shade. There are also some sages that prefer shade: Salvia glutinosa, Salvia koyamae… perfect for understorey planting!

In general, sages need to be grown in well-drained soil. They really do not like moisture (especially in winter!). Plant in rather dry, deep, well-draining, and light soil. Common sage grows well even in poor, stony soil. If your soil is clayey, you must improve drainage: mix in some pumice or gravel, and plant on a mound to allow water to drain away. Common sage also appreciates rather calcareous soils. It is also preferable to plant sages in a sheltered location from the wind.

Although most sages prefer well-draining and relatively dry soils, marsh sage, Salvia uliginosa, requires cool, even moist soil. Similarly, Salvia involucrata enjoys rich, fertile soils and tolerates cool conditions quite well. Lacerate sage, Salvia glutinosa, is also a species that appreciates freshness.

Some species are perfect for rockeries: Salvia caespitosa, Salvia jurisicii… The most suitable for dry gardens is perhaps Salvia pachyphylla, the Desert Sage. Some non-hardy sages may prefer to be grown in a cold greenhouse.

If your soil is not suitable for growing sages (too heavy, clayey, moist…), plant them in pots or containers, which you can place on a balcony, for example. Add a drainage layer at the bottom, and plant in a mix of potting soil and sand. Similarly, grow non-hardy species in pots: you can easily bring them indoors in winter to protect them from the cold.

Feel free to plant sage in the vegetable garden, alongside other aromatic plants and vegetables: it repels certain pest insects, such as the cabbage butterfly, and attracts pollinators.

When to plant?

The best time to plant sage is in spring, around April and May.

How to plant?

If your soil is heavy and clayey, add draining materials and plant on a mound. Otherwise, it is preferable to plant sage in a pot. In open ground, for common sage, maintain a distance of about 40 cm between each plant.

1. Dug a planting hole twice the size of the root ball. Improve your soil if necessary: add gravel or pumice for drainage, or compost to enrich it a bit… Create a mound to elevate the plant if your soil is heavy and retains water.
2. Plant the sage in the hole. The top of the root ball should be level with the soil. Replace the soil around it, then lightly firm it down.
3. Water.
4. Optionally, apply a mulch around the base of the plant to prevent weeds from growing.

You can plant your sage in pots or containers. Place a drainage layer at the bottom (broken pots, clay balls, pumice…). Add the substrate, install the plant, cover with soil, and then water.

pruning sage and its maintenance

Most sages can do without watering, but it is best to provide a little water in case of significant drought to ensure a generous flowering. Water sparingly (wait until the soil is well dry each time), as sage is sensitive to excess moisture, especially in winter. There are also a few species that prefer cool soils, such as Salvia uliginosa, the Marsh Sage, which will require more regular watering.

Install a layer of mulch to limit the growth of weeds and to protect the plant from the cold in winter.

It is important to prune sage plants at the end of winter. This helps to clean the clump and give it a nice shape while encouraging the emergence of new vigorous shoots. Sages tolerate severe pruning. Shrubby species can be cut back by half, while herbaceous sages can be cut back to the ground. Remove dead or damaged branches. You can also carry out pruning during the season to encourage the plant to branch out and make it bushier. We also advise you to regularly cut faded flowers to encourage the emergence of new flowers! It is common for Salvia nemorosa to offer a second flowering when the withered stems are cut back.

It is advisable to renew the plants on average every five years, as they can eventually become exhausted. Do not hesitate to divide them, as this will rejuvenate them, and you can plant them elsewhere in your garden.

We recommend adding well-decomposed compost in spring. You can place it at the base of your plants and incorporate it into the soil with a light raking. If you are growing sage in a pot, remember to provide a little fertiliser as well.

The harvest of common sage and clary sage leaves can take place from spring to autumn. Start picking leaves once the plant is well established and sufficiently bushy. (Avoid stripping its foliage just after planting!) Harvest the leaves, then use them fresh or dry them. To enjoy maximum aromas, it is best to pick them in the morning and before flowering, and to prefer the young leaves over the older ones.

Sages are sensitive to some cryptogamic diseases, which develop due to excess moisture. Thus, if you notice white spots with a powdery appearance on the leaves, it is affected by powdery mildew. It can also be affected by botrytis. In terms of pests, you may encounter problems with aphids or red spider mites. It is also common for slugs and snails to nibble on young shoots.

Multiplication: sowing, dividing and propagating sage

Sage can be multiplied using several different techniques. For common sage, we recommend propagation by cuttings rather than sowing, as you will obtain new plants more easily and quickly.

Sowing

Sow annual species in March, under cover; and perennials, including Salvia officinalis, a little later in spring. You can choose to sow common sage directly in the ground or in pots.

In the ground:

1. Prepare the soil by refining the seedbed and breaking up the larger clumps. You can add coarse sand if your soil tends to retain water. Also, add a bit of potting soil.
2. Place the seeds on the ground. You can sow them in clusters, in groups of 4-5 seeds.
3. Cover them with a thin layer of potting soil.
4. Water gently.

Continue to water regularly to keep the substrate moist until germination. You can thin out once the seedlings have grown, keeping only the strongest.

In a pot:

1. Take a pot and fill it with a mixture of potting soil and sand.
2. Spread the seeds on the surface.
3. Cover them with a thin layer of substrate, then gently firm it down.
4. Water gently.

Place the pot in a sheltered, bright location. The temperature should be around 20 °C. Keep the substrate slightly moist until germination. Transplant the young shoots once they have reached a size that allows for handling.

Division

You can multiply sage by dividing the rootstocks in spring. Some varieties lend themselves better to this than others. For example, Salvia uliginosa has a creeping rootstock that makes it quite easy to multiply this way. Division is a good technique for regenerating plants and preventing them from becoming exhausted.

Choose a sufficiently bushy plant that is several years old. Dig it up, being careful to avoid damaging the roots. Separate it into several pieces, ensuring that each fragment has roots. Don’t hesitate to reduce the foliage. Replant the divisions in another location or in pots. Water them.

Propagation by cuttings

Sages can be multiplied by taking cuttings of herbaceous stems in spring, around June.

1. Take a stem about ten centimetres long from the tip of a branch that does not have flowers.
2. Remove the leaves at the base, leaving only a few at the top of the stem. Cut the base cleanly just below a node.
3. Prepare a pot by filling it with a mixture of potting soil and sand. Moisten it.
4. Optionally dip the base of the cutting in plant hormone.
5. Plant the cutting and firm the substrate around it to ensure good contact between the substrate and the stem.
6. You can place a plastic bag over the pot to create a humid atmosphere.

Place the pot in a bright location, out of direct sunlight. Ensure that the substrate remains moist until the cutting develops roots. You can then plant it in the garden or repot it into a larger pot.

→ Learn more about the technique of propagating shrub sage cuttings in our tutorial!

Layering

Sage has a natural tendency to layer when its creeping stems touch the ground. Take stems that have rooted, separating them from the mother plant, and then replant them in another location.

Alternatively, you can also encourage the rooting of branches of your sage to create layers. Choose a long, relatively flexible stem, then lay it in the soil on a segment that has no leaves. Secure it in place with hooks. Water it. Roots will form on the buried part. You can then separate the layer from the original plant. Plant it in the ground or in a pot.

Associating Sage in the Garden

Common sage and clary sage will naturally find their place in a vicar’s garden, which combines utilitarian plants (vegetables, herbs, and medicinal plants) with flowers, as well as a few bushes and fruit trees. You can plant sages alongside other herbs such as mint, oregano, rosemary, or savory. Place edible flowers and medicinal plants that you can use to make herbal teas. For example, plant sage with comfrey, borage, angelica, or cornflowers, and of course, add vegetable plants… Especially since sage repels certain pest insects and attracts bees and some beneficial insects.

You can also integrate sage into a flower bed or a mixed border. Plant it alongside a multitude of colourful flowers: Nepeta, Leucanthemum, Zinnia, Echinacea, Delphinium, Cosmos, Dahlias… The blue-violet blooms of Salvia nemorosa pair very well with roses. Create a beautiful scene by combining them with the ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ rose and Phlox carolina ‘Bill Baker’. You can design a flower bed in the style of a “cottage garden”, with a profusion of flowers and foliage intertwining, favouring soft pastel shades. This type of garden has a natural, lush, and romantic feel.

Salvia nemorosa with the ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ rose and Phlox carolina ‘Bill Baker’ (photo Friedrich Strauss – MAP)

Use the colourful flowering of sages to create contrasts and harmonies… Sages offer a variety of shades in blue tones: from sky blue to midnight blue, including electric blues and blue-violets. Create a blue garden with a calming effect by favouring Salvia nemorosa, and add some white blooms. For example, you can plant Salvia nemorosa alongside lupins, campanulas, Leucanthemum, and phlox. Sages also pair well with the delicate and airy blooms of poppies and alliums.

Some sages, with their very airy habit, raise their long, slender spikes towards the sky. They have a soft and light quality that allows them to easily integrate into naturalistic gardens. Plant them among tall grasses, such as Stipa tenuifolia… They will blend into the scenery and provide some light touches of colour. Also combine them with the airy blooms of yarrow or Buenos Aires verbena… Plants with a soft habit that give an impression of freedom.

Take advantage of the drought resistance of sages to design a dry garden that will require little maintenance. Choose a sunny location, and possibly create a rockery, or at least a fairly mineral bed. You can improve drainage by raising the bed to create a mound or by adding draining materials (pumice, gravel…). Install sage alongside other dry garden plants: yarrow, grasses, Eryngium, Euphorbia myrsinites, Centranthus…

Another more original idea would be to create a corner of the garden with only plants that have a soft, delicate texture. For this, choose silver sage, Salvia argentea, with its large, velvety leaves that are very soft to the touch. Plant it alongside Stachys byzantina, the grass Lagurus ovatus, or Cotula hispida. Create a sensory garden by favouring grey and velvety foliage, and the floral spikes of grasses. Visually, accompany the grey and pubescent foliage with light white blooms, and you will achieve a timeless garden.

Finally, you can of course combine different varieties of sages, from the earliest to the latest, to enjoy a very long flowering period, from spring to autumn!

You can integrate sages into a dry garden! On the left, Verbascum ‘Polarsommer’, Eryngium oliverianum, Centranthus, Salvia caradonna, Stipa tenuifolia (photo Nathalie Pasquel – MAP / Landscape designer Robert Myers). On the right, Verbascum ‘Polarsommer’, Salvia caradonna, Euphorbia myrsinites (photo Nathalie Pasquel – MAP)

Did you know?

• A plant with multiple virtues

Sage is a plant that was widely cultivated and used in the Middle Ages for its numerous properties, summarised by the saying “He who has sage in his garden does not need a doctor.” It is an excellent plant for regulating the female hormonal system. It alleviates hot flashes related to menopause and regulates the menstrual cycle. It is also antiseptic and healing, aids digestion, soothes sore throats and insect bites. It has a stimulating and tonifying effect.

• Other uses

Sage Salvia hispanica, native to Mexico, produces chia seeds: edible seeds that are very rich in nutrients, which can be added to salads, desserts, or muesli, as well as in many savoury dishes… The leaves of white sage, Salvia apiana, are sometimes used to purify the air in the home. Sage sticks are available commercially, which can be burned like incense. Sage hydrosol is also made from common sage, with purifying and rebalancing properties. Finally, the flowers of common sage and pineapple sage are edible… You can add them to salads and desserts!