How to Start Growing a Purple Sage Plant

Overview

As a culinary herb, sage is indispensable in the kitchen. It's also a colorful and fragrant addition to the perennial garden. Purple sage (Salvia officinalis purpurea) is a low-growing evergreen shrub that grows over two feet in height and three feet wide. It has fragrant purple-gray leaves and is hardy in zones four to eight.

Step 1

Plant container-grown plants in the spring in a sunny location. Soil should be well-drained. Plants should be placed at least two feet apart. Dig a hole larger than the root ball, place the plant in, cover with soil and compact, so there are no air pockets. Water generously.

Step 2

To grow from seed, you can start them indoors and transplant the seedlings outdoors in spring, spacing as in Step 1.

Step 3

Provide sage with mulch in the winter in colder climates.

Step 4

Cut leaves for culinary purposes at any time. For dried leaves, snip sprigs in late morning, after dew has dried. Place bunches of sprigs in a dark, dry place, hanging them upside down. Check weekly.

Step 5

To refresh your purple sage the following year, cut back to the plant's base in early spring before any growth appears. This will encourage a fuller, bushier plant come summer.