Perovskia/Russian Sage

This beauty was chosen as Perennial of the Year in 1995.  As good as it looks here, it's really dramatic in large clumps.  They're also great with purple coneflowers, daylilies and ornamental grases.

Native to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

 

Details

• Grows to 3-5 feet.
• Likes full sun and good drainage.
• Take a year or more to establish.
  

Care

• Prune in early spring by cutting stems to 6 inches or so from the ground.
• Drought-tolerant.
• It's recommended that they be pinched or cut back by one-half when they reach 1 foot to produce more branches and general bushiness, but I haven't tried this myself yet.
• No need to divide them and they probably wouldn't like it, anyway.

Good Information in Print

• The Well Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust is the best-selling book on how to make your perennials healthier and better-looking.
• Encyclopedia of Perennials by Graham Rice is exhaustive and an outstanding general resource on the subject.
• The Complete Flower Gardener by Cutler and Ellis is another source I consult regularly.

 

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