Russian Sage is a perennial grown for its blooms, which open in summer and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 4 through 9, shrugs off deer and shrugs off dry spells. Its summer flowers are a real draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Russian Sage — the short answer
Russian Sage: grown in zones 4–9, full sun, pH 4.2–8.3.
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 4.2–8.3
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Russian Sage on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether russian sage actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score russian sage against your land's real conditions.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
What Russian Sage is
Russian Sage grows as a perennial and reaches around four feet at maturity. It blooms in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Russian Sage
Russian Sage grows in USDA zones 4 through 9. Russian Sage does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.2 to 8.3, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 120 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
4-9
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.2 - 8.3
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Minimum Growing Temperature
41°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
FAO ECOCROP
Mature Height
4 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
120+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant russian sage in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Russian Sage prefers pH 4.2 to 8.3 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut russian sage blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Russian Sage thrives
Russian Sage is hardy across USDA zones 4 through 9. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 4–9 spans average winter lows from -30°F to 30°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 33 outright and splits 18 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 4–9·Where Russian Sage growsOpen map →
Where Russian Sage stands, state by state
Russian Sage is rated for zones 4–9 — a cold floor USDA puts at -30 to -20°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 33 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 18 more, and 0 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 4–9
33 states
3 of 33 shown
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Russian Sage
Growing guides for russian sage
In rotation planning, russian sage counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in perennial flower
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — russian sage isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Russian Sage is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Your land is one point inside Russian Sage's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Russian Sage will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether russian sage actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Russian Sage
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Russian Sage in my zone?
Russian Sage grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Russian Sage?
Most growers plant russian sage after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 120-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Russian Sage need?
Russian Sage needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Russian Sage need?
Russian Sage prefers soil pH 4.2 to 8.3, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Russian Sage attract pollinators?
Yes — russian sage's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Is Russian Sage safe for pets?
Russian Sage is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)