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Little Spire Russian Sage

Salvia yangii 'Little Spire'

Regular price $3665
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Delivery and Shipping

Delivery and Shipping

Fast, Safe Plant Delivery
Ships in 3-4 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected

Under $50 $9.99
$50 - $99.99 $14.99
$100 - $149.99 $16.99
$150 - $198.99 $24.99
$199+ FREE

✓ Zone-specific timing • ✓ Professional packaging • ✓ Health guarantee

Plant Profile & Growing Essentials

Cold hardy, Low Maintenance, Flowering, Fragrant, Deer-resistant, Attracts pollinators, Attracts Butterflies, Heat Tolerant, Drought resistant, and Container Friendly

Specifications

  • Botanical Name
    Salvia yangii 'Little Spire'
  • Height
    2-3 ft
  • Width
    1 ft
  • Growing Zones
    4-9
  • Sunlight
    • Full sun
  • Growth Rate
    Fast
  • Flower Color
    • Blue
  • Leaf Color
    • Green
  • Pollinator Friendly
    Yes
  • Bloom Period
    Late Summer, Early Fall, Late Fall
  • Fragrant
    Yes
  • Does Not Ship To
    AK, HI, ID, MT, OR

Planting & Care Instructions

Where to Plant

  • Sunlight: Little Spire Russian Sage performs best in full sun, requiring at least 6 hours of direct light daily. While it can tolerate very light shade, too much shade causes the stems to stretch and flop over, so prioritize your sunniest spots to keep the plant upright and blooming heavily.
  • Soil: This plant prefers hot, dry, and lean soils with sharp drainage. It struggles in heavy clay that holds water, so if you have clay soil, amend it heavily with gravel or plant in a raised bed to ensure the roots don't sit in moisture, especially during winter.

Watering Requirements

Water regularly during the first growing season to establish the root system, checking the soil moisture once a week. Once established, Little Spire is highly drought-tolerant and actually prefers to be on the dry side; inconsistent or excessive watering can lead to weak stems and fewer flowers, so allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings.

Pruning Tips

This plant blooms on new wood, so the best time to prune is in late winter or very early spring before new growth appears. Cut the entire plant back to about 6 to 12 inches above the ground; this hard prune keeps the plant compact, prevents it from becoming woody and leggy, and ensures a flush of vibrant new stems for the season.

Fertilizer Needs

Go easy on the feeding, as Russian Sage thrives in poor soil and heavy fertilization will actually cause it to grow too fast and flop over. A light side-dressing of compost in the spring is sufficient; avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers entirely, as they promote leafy growth at the expense of flower production.

Perfect purple spikes on a compact perennial plant! This award-winning little plant will make a huge splash in your landscape. The Little Spire Russian Sage (Salvia yangii 'Little Spire' formerly Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Little Spire') is an exciting newer variety to the time-tested Ornamental Sage family!

The lavender purple spikes are butterfly magnets, but the deer won't touch them. Since it is a member of the Mint family, just like culinary Sage, the gray-green leaves are very aromatic when you brush against them, with a kitchen-spice scent. Plus you will enjoy flowers all summer and lasting until autumn! That’s plenty of blooms for your butterflies, bees, and bouquets!

Little Spire is a nice alternative if you have trouble growing Lavender where you live. Cold and heat-hardy throughout a wide range of USDA planting zones 4 to 9, Little Spire is very low-maintenance and even high on fire-wise landscaping plans. But deer and rabbits seldom bother with Russian Sage!

Planting and Application:

Little Spire may not get very big but it is the perfect space-saving size to fill in spots in your sunny border or foundation planting! It looks great next to a wall or fence when combined with pink or yellow flowers. A dark evergreen hedge will become the perfect backdrop!

Try adding Little Spire with other Russian Sage plants! Or among other drought-tolerant perennials like Pink Double Delight Condeeflowers or Yellow Herbstonne Black-Eyed Susans for an instant eye-catching combo of color and texture! Ornamental Sage and Ornamental Grass go hand in hand!

Mix in with prairie plantings, pollinator borders, xeric mass plantings, and the hot and sunny Rock Garden for an airy, fine-textured element! The purple finery looks gorgeous among other purple plants, variegated greenery, and silver foliage plants in the Cottage Garden and mixed perennial border! Russian Sage tolerates salt spray, so use it along your street plantings and driveway!

Try planting Little Spire along a pathway to really enjoy the fragrant foliage aspect. This compact perennial is ideal for those hot, sunny balconies, porches, and patio container gardens! Try potting up a few in half whiskey barrels or upscale urns and place them around your seating areas to enjoy their waving wands and fragrance.

  • Fragrant Airy Purple Spires
  • Aromatic Gray Green Foliage
  • Compact Space-Saving Mounds
  • Great For Pollinators & Hummingbirds
  • Back-to-Middle of the Garden, Border Plant, Containers & Xeric Mass Plantings

#ProPlantTips for Care:

All Russian Sage grows into a blessedly low-maintenance asset in your landscape! Give this sun lover well-drained soil and at least 6 hours of sunshine a day. It loves hot, dry weather and full sun all day long. This easy-to-grow perennial thrives in the heat!

However, excessive water, too little sun, or soil with poor drainage will cause Russian Sage to fall flat. When you plant these perennials, ensure the water drains away from the crown quickly. Elevate your planting bed, or plant in containers with lots of drainage holes or on a berm with fast-draining soil. Tolerating periodic drought, Sages flower best when they receive an even amount of water on a regular basis when young. With good drainage and plenty of sun, this water-wise plant is a flower machine from late spring to the first frost.

Prune to shape or rejuvenate in early spring, cutting back the stems at a 45-degree angle just above the lowest bud. Clean the mounds just as you notice new growth in the early spring. You can pinch back or shear plants in the late spring or early summer by half to encourage tidy mounded growth with lots of branching. Every 3-5 years, divide Russian Sage to prevent overcrowding.

  • Full Sun Lover
  • Any Well-Drained Soil Type
  • Moderate to Low Moisture Needs - Drought Tolerant Once Established
  • Prune Early Spring
  • Deer Tend to Leave This One Alone

This charming compact Little Spire Russian Sage from Nature Hills, its wonderful purple flowers, will be a big hit in your garden! You don't need to tell anyone how little care it requires! Order some now at Nature Hills!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Russian Sage the same as Salvia?

Russian Sage includes about seven species of Perovskia, but have now been reclassified as Salvia yangii.

How Do You Care For Russian Sage? How To Grow Russian Sage.

Russian or Ornamental Sage like Little Spire is very low maintenance and just needs full sun, well-drained soil, and a yearly pruning to keep them looking their best.

What can I plant with Ornamental Sage? What looks good planted with Little Spire Russian Sage?

Other full-sun perennials that are both Xeric and drought-tolerant go great with Russian Sage, such as Ornamental Grasses, Coreopsis, Coneflower, Salvia, and Sedum. Russian Sage also looks great against a row of Evergreens or other full-sun flowering shrubs.

What shipping options do you offer?

NatureHills.com works closely with our growers and nursery professionals to ensure we ship when it is most appropriate for your area. Our goal is to deliver the hardiest plants by avoiding extreme high and low temperatures. Check out our shipping schedule for more information and to learn our wills and won'ts when it comes to shipping plants. Find your Little Spire Russian Sage for sale here at NatureHills.com!

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