Russian Sage is classified as a "subshrub". I would imagine that it's care might vary from zone to zone, but here in my garden, it's sure death to cut it back before it shows new growth in the spring. (There are many other plants like this, many Salvias and artemisias among them.) I read that it's because the cut stems are hollow and winter rain will collect in them causing the plant to rot. I've never been able to see the "hollowness" but this rule has surely proven true for me. If I were you, I would leave the Russian Sage alone until it sprouts new growth again (as it most likely will), and then when it gets going well, cut the dead part back. Actually, it will probably just snap off.

Sounds like Fourlined Plant Bugs. The nymphs are bright red and appear in May or June. The adults have four black lines down the wings. They move fast, but their weakness is that they drop off the leaves and try to fly when you disturb them. I place a small bucket of soapy water underneath them, then shake them so they fall in the water. You can also spray the plants with insecticidal soaps. The bugs lay their eggs in the stems of infested perennials to overwinter, so it is important to clean up and dispose of the plant debris in the fall. The Russian Sage may grow out of the damage, but if it is too severe, you could prune off the damaged sections. Russian Sage can be cut back by half (to 6" to 12") this time of the year anyway to promote a fuller plant (which blooms slightly later than unpruned plants).

PrairieMoon, In my opinion, raised beds are the best way to make the right habitat for plants that don't like our natural soil. I have a bunch of them, made from granite cobble blocks from Home Depot, as well as some that were made using rocks from my property (a bumper crop of rocks every time I stick a spade in the ground) against a wall. You excavate out a foot or more of clay soil and replace it with your special blend, which has to be refreshed once a year with new compost but otherwise is carefree. I use planters and containers for hardy plants (I only use plants that are hardy to at least one zone colder than the local climate). The lavender I have is a Goodwin Creek variety that is only zone 7 hardy, so is marginal in my 6b garden. I bought it last winter and kept it next to a sunny window, then put it outside this year and refreshed the soil. It will come back in before the frost. With the hardy L. angustifoliums that will overwinter outside in our climate, I've found it's not enough to add gravel to existing soil; you really do have to remove the soil and totally replace it with that "Mediterranean" soil. I've had luck with my alpines and other dry-loving plants using a soil made from 2 parts bagged topsoil, 1 part coarse/builder's sand, 1 part turkey grit or small gravel, and 1 part compost (veg or manure).

L. camara is the actual name. Only the commercially sold hybrids have made up names like 'Miss Huff', 'Dallas Red' or 'Carnival'. Wild Lantana horrida has orange/red flowers. Wild Lantana camara has pink/yellow flowers. They smell the same. Both are cold hardy. L. camara is hardy to zone 6. I am unsure about L. horrida but its probably that hardy as well. Both have thorns and produce lots of viable seeds. The common name for wild L. camara is 'Ham & Eggs'. Wild L. horrida is often called 'Bacon & Eggs' based on the different flower colors. There are six species indigenous to parts of the southern United States. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Most named hybrids are a mix of two South American species: L. camara & L. montevidensis. Lantana montevidensis is a trailing ground cover type with lavender flowers. Its tropical and not cold hardy at all which is why the hybrids are sold as annuals and don't survive winter. The hardier cultivars often have L. horrida (also called Lantana urticoides) in their lineage. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I now think the orange one in the photo I posted above is L. horrida. L. horrida is a Texas native but L. camara isn't. Its considered an invasive pest all over the south. The 'Ham & Eggs' that I have is wild L. camara, people have grown them here in Oklahoma for as long as I can remember because they are so hardy and will grow in our dry heat. They were commonly grown on farms as ornamental plants. They aren't invasive here because of cold winters but further south both types stay evergreen and bloom all year. I read that L. horrida varies in leaf size, form etc in that site I posted above. I ordered seeds from Native American Seed and those plants have much bigger leaves and the plant has a wilder looking habit than the orange one I like so much that I posted in the pictures above which was started from a cutting from a plant growing up the street, I was disappointed in the plants I grew from seed I ordered. The orange I started from the cutting up the street obviously produces viable seed, I have a few baby volunteers I noticed. Its leading me to believe its L. horrida (which definitely has thorns) except I think this one happens to be a slightly different type than the ones I grew from the seeds I ordered. None of the cultivars I have purchased have thorns. BTW, I realize now that the one which wintered over in my hell strip is a Miss Huff. I'd forgotten what I planted, it happens around here. http://npsot.org/wp/story/2011/1801/