Description
perennial
space 18-24″ inches apart
grows 12-36″ inches tall and 12-24″ inches wide
Salvia officinalis – Garden Sage – Common Sage – Purple Sage – This short lived, sub-shrubby, erect, hairy evergreen perennial from Mediterranean, North Africa and Europe grows 30-32″ tall and 30-36″ wide. It produces oval, smooth edged, gray-green woolly, wrinkled, aromatic leaves, to 3″ long with white hairy coating beneath. Branched white hairy stems bear whorls of bluish-mauve flowers, ½” long, in early and mid summer. A popular culinary herb.
Grow in light, moderately fertile, humus rich, moist but well drained soil in full sun to light, dappled shade. Species with densely hairy or woolly leaves need sharp drainage and full sun. Protect from excessive winter moisture. Divide perennials in spring.
Prone to rust, powdery mildew, stem rot, fungal leaf spots, whiteflies, aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, and larvae of Lepidoptera including bucculatricid leaf miner.
Zones 5-8
