Garden Sage: Soft Gray Leaves and Lavender-Colored Spikes

Garden sage is the sage of Thanksgiving stuffing: a bushy, semi-woody herb with soft, fuzzy, pebbly gray-green leaves 3 to 6 inches long and a strong, savory scent. In early summer it sends up spikes of bluish-lavender to pinkish-lavender flowers that bees and butterflies love.

Sage and lavender are old garden companions, and for good reason. They look like they belong together and they want the same treatment.

Garden sage at a glance

Sage beside lavender

Both plants are heat and drought tolerant once established, both have gray-toned foliage, and both sulk in wet soil, especially in winter. Planted side by side, they make a soft gray-green and silver sweep, with sage's broad, textured leaves contrasting lavender's narrow ones.

Their flowers overlap nicely as well. Sage spikes open in mid-June, often just as the earliest English lavenders begin, so the bed shifts from one shade of lavender-purple to the next. Sage spreads 2 to 3 feet wide and tends to sprawl with age, so give it room so it does not lean on the lavender. Plan the spacing in the Companion Plant Planner.

Planting and care

• Soil: well drained. It is intolerant of wet or poorly drained soil.
• Water: while plants establish, then sparingly.
• Airflow: good spacing reduces powdery mildew in humid, crowded spots.
• Pruning: trim back in spring once new growth appears, removing dead tips and shaping the plant. Do not cut deep into bare wood.
• Renewal: sage gets woody and sprawling with age. Replace plants about every five years.

Harvesting and using sage

Flavor is best before flowering, but you can pick leaves all season. Use them fresh, dried or cooked in stuffing, brown-butter sauces, poultry and fish dishes, and steep them for tea. The flowers are edible, too, and make a pretty garnish. To dry sage, hang small bunches in a shaded, airy place or lay leaves flat on a screen.

Sizes offered

Garden sage comes as 3-inch plugs, 4-inch pots and 1-gallon pots. A single gallon plant gives most kitchens plenty of sage. See the product page for current sizes and availability.

Frequently asked questions

Is garden sage a perennial in Michigan?

Yes. It winters outdoors in zone 5-6 when the soil drains well.

Is it related to lavender?

Yes, both are in the mint family, which explains the similar flowers and their shared love of sun and dry soil.

Keep exploring

• Garden Sage Plants & Plugs
• Companion Plant Library
• Companion Plant Planner
• Beekeeper Tools