How to Grow Sage
This article is part of our “How to Grow Herbs” series. If you would like to learn more about how to work with this plant after you harvest it, please refer to our Herbal Aromatherapy Certification Program™ here.
Salvia officinalis is a member of the mint family and produces fuzzy, spoon-shaped leaves. Flowers tend to be pink, purple or white depending on the variety you grow. It is a pleasant, aromatic, culinary herb that is easy to grow.
Light and Soil Requirements
Sage grows best in full sun, planted in an area that has well-draining soil. As a Mediterranean plant, it thrives in the same conditions that rosemary and lavender do well in, although it can also do well in partial shade and with a bit more water. (It still does not like soggy roots.) I have also found that an annual top-dressing of compost helps to contribute to its health.
Plant Hardiness and Growth Habit
Sage is hardy to a USDA growing zone 4 or 5 and in my zone 8b garden, it keeps its foliage all winter long. The soft, downy leaves look beautiful when covered with winter rain or frost crystals!
This plant is a perennial herb and can grow to a little over two feet tall if it is happy where you have planted it. It will stay smaller if planted at the base of a shrub or in an area that gets less sunlight. The plants do tend to fill out a bit over time, so I recommend giving them about 2 feet of space between plants to ensure good air flow. If you have limited space, you could plant them as close together as 18” but you would want to keep them pruned to avoid crowding. If you are harvesting from them often, you should not have a problem. Plants grown in partial shade can also be planted a little bit closer together, as they will not always grow as large as those planted in full sun tend to.
Growing from Seed
Garden sage plants are easiest to grow via cuttings or divisions. If you choose to grow them from seed, you will want to start them indoors in a protected area. Scatter the seed over the surface of your soil in a tray or pot, lightly cover them with soil, and gently water them in. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy until you start to see the seedlings emerge. Once they have several sets of true leaves, you can either pot them up into individual pots or you can transplant them into the garden. They may benefit from some protection while they are still young.
I also have an article about growing white sage, should your taste in sages vary.
Learning More
If you would like to learn more about how to work with aromatic plants, I hope you will join me in our Herbal Aromatherapy Certification Program™ here at Floranella! In it, I teach students how to safely and effectively work with over 100 different herbs as well as their applicable essential oils and hydrosols from the garden to the still to the apothecary. I hope to see you in class one day!
About the Author
Hi there, I’m Erin! I am the main instructor here at Floranella. I am a clinical herbalist, aromatherapist, artisan distiller and organic gardener based in the Pacific Northwest. Here at Floranella, I teach people how to work with plants safely and effectively from the garden to the apothecary. Thanks for being here! I’m glad you stopped by.
