Russian Sage

10 years ago

I have 2 Russian Sage plants. I've had them for at least 6 years. I always trim them short in the spring. They get huge and I try to trim them throughout the summer so they don't crowd other plants. They usually sucker around and I just cut off the ones I don't want, but this year they are suckering a lot! How do I manage these and should I do something different to keep them tidy. Can I divide them? Should I be doing something else with the suckers? They are popping up everywhere under weed fabric etc.

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Comments (10)

echinaceamaniac
10 years ago
I wish I had that problem. I love Russian Sage!
jadeite
10 years ago
Here in New Mexico Russian sage grows everywhere, apparently with no care even during our drought. Some gardeners regard it as invasive. I like it, and I have plans to incorporate it into perennial beds, but I think you need to work to keep it under control.

Cheryl
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kristie73
Original Author
10 years ago
Here is a picture. Any tips?

{{gwi:250591}}
echinaceamaniac
10 years ago
It's beautiful!
aseedisapromise
10 years ago
Very nice specimen. You do have to give it a lot of room. There are somewhat smaller cultivars if your space is limited. One thing though, I'm not so sure it suckers so much as it reseeds. Yes the plants themselves get larger and woodier over time, but I think it is the seedlings that spread the most. My main control tactic is to be sure to deadhead it and cut it back in the fall, and I don't go and look at the garden in that area without taking a trowel or something to uproot any unwanted seedlings. I think as a plant they have a sort of golden period when they aren't so young and sparse, and yet they aren't so old and rasty and woody yet. They can look like the wicked witch of the west, and they can be really beautiful.
vivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
10 years ago
I had similar issue with my Russian Sage planted as part of a garden. It was 3-4 ft high and same spread so too much for the space. I moved to an open area in the back and I am enjoying its glory right now.

I did replace it with the drawf version (Little Spire) ~ 4 years ago. So far it is doing great for the space in the garden. For my garden, Little Spire re-seeds a little (but nothing invasive, 1-2 seedling per season) while the regular sage does not.

Our local Home Depot carries Little Spire.
echinaceamaniac
10 years ago
Is it me or is the Russian Sage the best thing in that photo? That plant is happy!
kristie73
Original Author
10 years ago
So would it be a waste of time to try to split this or try to dig up the suckers to plant in other areas of my yard? I do like where the Russian Sage is currently planted, I just don't want it shading, crowding other plants around it. I don't want to kill it!
karin_mt
10 years ago
I like your idea of just digging up some of the suckers, which likely you can plant elsewhere. Overall, is this plant just simply too big for its spot? If so, dividing it will only be a short term solution. So for now I think you can just deal with the suckers but in time the plant might need to move somewhere or have some neighboring plants moved. Plants always do best when they have enough room to reach their mature size.

Yours looks wonderful! But the grass-like plant on the right side could perhaps get relocated so that both plants have more room.
woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
10 years ago
That's certainly a nice-looking specimen you have there! I like the silver and blue colors of Russian Sage and its bloom time but they have become a problem here - the big ones seed around and the dwarf one spreads underground. I have been removing most of them but still have a couple for the late-season color. I think they would be best as background plants in a large, dry space with other tough companions. They can be just a bit too assertive with smaller, better-behaved companions :-)