Denim 'n Lace is a Russian sage sized for the garden, about 28 to 32 inches tall, and its sturdier stems stand straighter than many older types. Lacy, bright sky-blue flowers sit on amethyst calyxes set close together, so the spires look especially full.
Because the calyxes stay colorful after the flowers pass, it seems to bloom from midsummer well into fall. It thrives on heat, drought and neglect as long as it gets full sun, and deer leave it alone. The airy texture blends with nearly any flower color.
What it looks like
Dense, branching spires are lined with tiny, lacy, sky-blue tubular flowers set in closely spaced amethyst-purple calyxes on sturdy silvery stems. The leaves are small, narrow, finely toothed and silvery gray-green with a sage-like scent. The plant forms an upright, rounded subshrub about 28 to 33 inches tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. At peak bloom it is a full, soft cloud of sky blue and amethyst over silvery foliage.
Growing it with lavender
Russian sage and lavender want the same hot sun and lean, sharp-draining soil, and its sky-blue spires take over in late summer after the main lavender bloom, carrying the silvery, fragrant look into fall.
Care
Plant in full sun in lean to average, well-drained soil; it thrives in heat and drought and dislikes wet feet. Hardy in zones 4-9. Leave the stems standing over winter, then in spring, once new buds show, cut back to just above the lowest set of new growth; it is slow to leaf out, so be patient.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Salvia yangii
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Flower color: Sky blue on amethyst calyxes
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Foliage: Silvery gray-green
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Growth habit: Upright, rounded subshrub
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Mature size: 28–33 in tall × 36 in–4 ft wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
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Light: full sun
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Bloom start: Mid-July
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Peak bloom: Mid-August
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Bloom pattern: Long Blooming
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Deer resistance: Resistant
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Pollinator value: Great
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.
Lavender companion · grow guide
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