• Photo of Salvia yangii (Salvia yangiis)

Plant Profile: Salvia yangii

Names

Russian Sage

  • Photo of Salvia yangii (Salvia yangiis)

Phonetic Spelling:SAL-vee-uh YANG-ee-eye

Genus:Salvia

Species:yangii

Family:Lamiaceae

Russian Sage is a robust, perennial shrub that typically grows in clumps, reaching heights and widths of 3 to 4 feet. The leaves of Perovskia are a grayish-green hue and emit a strong fragrance when crushed or brushed against. This plant produces blooms during the summer months. To encourage healthy growth each season, it is advisable to trim the stems back to a few inches above the ground in the spring. Russian Sage is often used in perennial gardens and as a filler plant. It thrives in full sunlight and well-drained soil. The tall, vibrant blue flower spikes add a light and airy feel to any garden. Notable cultivars like 'Longin,' 'Blue Spire,' and 'Blue Mist' are preferred over those grown from seeds. After the first hard frost, cut the plants back to about 12 inches. This species is drought-resistant and should be pruned in early spring. Additionally, it is not prone to damage from deer and faces minimal issues with pests or diseases.

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Salvia yangii Feature Summary

Salvia yangii Image Gallery

Tags

#purple
#fragrant
#evergreen
#full sun tolerant
#blue
#drought tolerant
#perennial
#green
#shrub
#gray
#fragrant leaves
#apvg
#ncemgva2018
#cpp
#summer flowers
#deer resistant
#fantz
#HS302
#apvg-p
#stormwater demo garden orange co

Similar Plants

Salvia yangii is often confused with:

Salvia yangii Feature Summary

Attributes
Flowers
Flowers are small, lavender-blue, zygomorphic, and the corolla is 2-lipped. Inflorescence is terminal, slender, open or loose racemose vertillicaster. The rachis internodes are elongated between fascicles. Fascicles are few flowered.
Purple/Lavender
Blue
> 6 inches
Leaves
Leaves are opposite, simple, aromatic, lanceolate, cuneate, strongly pinnately dissected, green in color above, and grayish-white in color below. They are 1-2" long and have a strong fragrance.
Gray/Silver
Lanceolate
Cuneate
1-3 inches
Stem
Stems are square and grayish.
Gray/Silver
Hairy (pubescent)
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Good Drainage
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
3a
3b
9a
9b
Landscape

Salvia yangii Attributes

Salvia yangii: Country Or Region Of Origin

Afghanistan to Tibet

Salvia yangii: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Salvia yangii: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Salvia yangii Flowers

Salvia yangii: Flower Description

Flowers are small, lavender-blue, zygomorphic, and the corolla is 2-lipped. Inflorescence is terminal, slender, open or loose racemose vertillicaster. The rachis internodes are elongated between fascicles. Fascicles are few flowered.

Salvia yangii: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Blue
filter_vintage
Purple/Lavender

Salvia yangii: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Salvia yangii: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Salvia yangii: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Salvia yangii: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Salvia yangii Leaves

Salvia yangii: Leaf Description

Leaves are opposite, simple, aromatic, lanceolate, cuneate, strongly pinnately dissected, green in color above, and grayish-white in color below. They are 1-2" long and have a strong fragrance.

Salvia yangii: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Salvia yangii: Leaf Color

spa
Gray/Silver

Salvia yangii: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Salvia yangii: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Salvia yangii: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Salvia yangii: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Salvia yangii: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Salvia yangii: Leaf Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy

Salvia yangii Stem

Salvia yangii: Stem Description

Stems are square and grayish.

Salvia yangii: Stem Color

grass
Gray/Silver

Salvia yangii: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Salvia yangii: Stem Surface

Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)

Salvia yangii Whole Plant Traits

Salvia yangii: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Salvia yangii: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Salvia yangii: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Salvia yangii: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Salvia yangii Cultural Conditions

Salvia yangii: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Salvia yangii: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Salvia yangii: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Salvia yangii: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Salvia yangii: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
3a
thermostat
3b
thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Salvia yangii Landscape

Salvia yangii: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind