Salvia yangii
Salvia yangii
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Pruning
- Mar–Apr
- Flowering
- Aug–Oct
Photo: Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Salvia yangii, long known as Perovskia atriplicifolia, is a deciduous subshrub with finely dissected, silvery hairy foliage and an aromatic scent. From late summer into autumn it bears loose, blue-violet spike-like panicles that are heavily visited by bumblebees and wild bees. As a steppe plant from Central Asia, it loves full sun, lean soils, and tolerates long periods of drought. In the border it looks best planted in groups among grasses and other steppe perennials, where its silvery foliage provides a calm contrasting accent.
Care instructions
Salvia yangii prefers warm, dry conditions and full sun. In partial shade the foliage becomes less silvery and the growth looser. It thrives in lean, well-drained, somewhat calcareous soils. Heavy, waterlogged soil is not tolerated by the roots. Water regularly only during the establishment phase; afterwards it copes well with dryness and needs little or no supplemental water, even in summer. Cut the shoots back hard in early spring, around late March to early April (calendar weeks 13 to 14), to about one hand's width above the ground. This keeps growth compact and encourages flowering. Winter protection is not needed in most locations in the German-speaking region. Only at very exposed sites does a loose covering of brushwood help.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringAug–Oct
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, dry, lime-loving
Russian sage likes it lean and free-draining, and tolerates heavy or waterlogged soils poorly. Sandy, gravelly mixes with a little lime come closest to its origin in stony steppe habitats. Soil that is too rich in nutrients leads to soft, flopping growth rather than more flowers, so it is better to prepare it sparingly.
Feeding
Light feeder
As a steppe plant, Russian sage needs practically no feeding. A thin dose of compost in spring is enough if the soil is poor anyway. More nutrients mainly produce long, unstable shoots that snap over more easily.
Pruning
Cut Russian sage back in early spring to a hand's breadth above the old wood, as soon as the first new shoots can be seen. Cutting back in autumn costs it winter protection and frost hardiness. Consistent annual pruning keeps the growth compact and free-flowering.
Overwintering
In most parts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Russian sage is sufficiently hardy and stays outdoors. On heavy or damp soils, a handful of gravel at the root collar helps against waterlogging in winter. Only remove the dried-up shoots in spring; they protect the base from frost.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- From seed
Semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer are the most reliable way to propagate the plant; they root fairly quickly in sandy seed compost. Sowing also works, but it takes longer to the first flowering and the seedlings vary easily in appearance. For true-to-type offspring, cuttings are therefore preferable. Both methods are best raised in a bright spot that is not too damp.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
particularly well establishedYou will find that basil next to tomato and pepper improves taste and keeps whiteflies and aphids away.
For example PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 14 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
You will notice that the intense scent of basil, thyme, and others confuses the cabbage whitefly and keeps it away from the cabbage family.
For example White cabbageKohlrabiRadishKalebroccolicauliflower and 41 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
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