Scientific: Perovskia atriplicifolia (Synonym: Salvia yangii)
Common: Russian sage
Family: Lamiaceae
Origin: Intercontinental highlands of central Asia.
Taxonomic confusion: Recently, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has proposed that the scientific name of Russian sage be changed to Salvia yangii based on molecular phylogenetic research. Though the RHS has adopted this new scientific name, until the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) recognizes it as the accepted name, I will identify Salvia yangii as a worthy synonym.
Pronounciation: Per-off-SKI-a a-tri-pli-ca-FOL-ee-a
Hardiness zones
Sunset 1-10
USDA 5-9
Landscape Use: Xeric (dry) landscape settings, foliar, floral, and textural accent, silhoutte plant, informal landscape planter beds, open natural landscape design themes.
Form & Character: Open, airy, upright and irregular, recessive, gray, wispy with a light and breezy appearance.
Growth Habit: Evergreen, semi-woody, broadleaf perennial shrub to 5-feet tall with equal spread. Usually forms clumps or thickets because of its tendency to produce rhizomes. Growth rate and eventual size of Russian sage varies with water availability.
Foliage/Texture: Smallish leaves deeply lobed, silvery-gray, pubescent, 2-inches long and 1-inch wide, aromatic on grayish-white stems; fine texture.
Flowers & Fruits: A profuse display of axillary flowers, small, tubular, light blue to lavender; fruits are inconspicuous.
Seasonal Color: Russian sage flowers caste an open, hazy blue purple caste during long stretches of the summer into early fall.
Temperature: Hardy to 0oF. Tolerant of high desert heat (to 105oF), but not to the low desert extreme heat of Phoenix and Yuma.
Light: Full sun is required; no shade!
Soil: Russian sage grows best in slightly alkaline to calcareous soils that are well drained.
Watering: Infrequent deep irrigations during the growing season only; use drip irrigation water to control growth rate and spread. High water applications or overhead irrigation will result in rank vegetative growth and aggressive clumping and spreading with fewer flowers. No supplemental during winter with only measured amounts of supplemental water needed during the summer depending on the amounts of summer monsoon rains.
Pruning: Severely head back every few years to control spread amd promote a natural shape. Russian sage CANNOT be formally sheared without looking emasculated.
Propagation: Seed, softwood cuttings
Disease and Pests: None
Additional comments: Russian sage is a great accent plant for those high desert landscapes in Arizona and New Mexico. It is well adapted to grow in mid-elevation landscapes in the Arizona cities and towns such as Prescott, Chino Valley, Kingman, Payson, Sierra Vista, Sedona, and Page. It will grow in Flagstaff and Williams too, but might be damaged by winter cold. The cultivar 'Blue Spire' has dark blue flowers. Some consider this to be a hybrid between Perovskia atriplicifolia and Perovskia abrotanoides. The specific epithet, atriplicifolia means with leaves like "Atriplex". The genus was named after a famous Russian general (though that might not last much longer with the impending transition to the new scientific name, Salvia yangii).
Ethnobotanical perspectives: In central and southwest Asia, Russian sage is a shrub of many medicinal uses. Flowers are eaten fresh, while the foliage is smoked like tobacco because of its slight euphoriant properties. Medicinal oils and secondary compounds in Russian sage has recently been identified. Russian sage has also been found to possess inhibitory activity and might have potential therapeutic effects on inflammatory diseases.
