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Tennessee Gardening

Is Pineapple sage winter hardy here in z7?

19 years ago

I have been wanting to try a pineapple sage and so I bought one yesterday (at Ike's, of all places!). It had a tag that said annual but the pot said perennial. I looked it up today and it says hardy to z8. Does anyone in west Tennessee, east Arkansas, or north Mississippi get this coming back year after year? I have other perennials that said z8 and they are fine, so I hope this one will overwinter too.

Thanks,

Leigh

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Comments (9)

amazondoc
19 years ago
I love pineapple sage! Unfortunately, I think it's gonna be a real problem to get it through the winter in any part of Tennessee. I'm gonna try it again this winter myself, though. I **think** it's going to be important to keep it dry during the cold weather -- I'm planning to rig up a shelter for several things that won't stand for cold wet winters.

Good luck!
jennbenn
19 years ago
No, sorry its never been hardy for me and I am in Memphis. Love it and use it every year. It is easy to root some and overwinter and then put back out. I did this last year.
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How fun to find another Memphis person! Yes, pineapple sage can absolutely come back year after year here. It can also die out completely in some spots -- so it'll add a little bit of mystery to your bed: will it come back this year? Will it not? :) I agree with what someone else suggested: leave it in the ground and hope it comes back, but also take some cuttings to keep inside over the winter, just in case it doesn't. I think you'll have good luck with it, though, if you find a good, warm spot for it, like in front of a south-facing wall. You might also try not cutting the stems back until spring. Next time you're at the Memphis zoo, check out the several clumps of pineapple sage growing around the African veldt area. There's some in front of the bontebok antelope (right between some butterfly ginger and some zebra grass, which all makes a beautiful combination, by the way, in the fall), and some on the opposite side in front of the Nile Lechwe antelope and the ostriches. Those have all been coming back faithfully for years. They probably receive some protection from the low concrete wall back behind them. Remember in the spring that they come up kinda late, so don't give up if you don't see them sprouting immediately. And if you DO lose it over the winter, get some more and try it again! Luckily the plants are easy to find at almost every nursery, home improvement store, and local plant sale. Good luck!
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cannahavana
19 years ago
I grow one here in Knoxville and it has come back for 3 years now. We do mulch a few inches. The hummers go nuts over it!

Rebecca
SmokyMist
19 years ago
Mine comes back year after year here in Seymour ( East TN). I love the smell of it, but havn't figured out yet where I can use it best.

Cheryl
leighmac
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks for all the replies. I will try to mulch it but I am not sure how I can keep it dry, unless I pot it. Wish me luck!
jennbenn
19 years ago
OK, I don't get why mine doesn't come back, I will have to obviously mulch more! Much more! Thanks for the info everyone, I never thought I could get it to come back!?!

Live and learn.. lol!!
brandon7 TN_zone7
19 years ago
I have just barely mulched mine here in Knoxville. It is next to the house (brick) on the southeast side. It's huge and seems to love it here. No problem with hardyness at all.
landrover
18 years ago
I'm mad about herbs this year. It's the first time I've tried pineapple sage. My cilantro hung in there all winter and also several sages. Here's a photo of the herb garden I started this year. It was taken awhile ago. Everything is bigger now. I have bench in front of this bed and love sitting out there.
ShadyGrove5
18 years ago
My pineapple sage is about 3 years old as well. It is in a protected bed near the house. At Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, in their perennial beds they have pineapple sage that is several years old. It's possible, but I can't say what the magic combination is.

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