Anyone who reduces sage to garden sage is missing out on an immense abundance of magnificent species. The important question 'Is sage hardy?' is answered for the best types of sage here. There are also instructions on how to prepare the Mediterranean plant for winter.

The best hardy sage species - an overview

Common sage (Salvia officinalis) is considered the incarnation of a spice and medicinal plant par excellence and is the hobby gardener's favorite permanent guest in the herb garden. The evergreen subshrub pulls in its above-ground plant parts in autumn. The root area is hardy and survives the cold season unscathed to sprout again next spring. The following species and cultivars are also hardy:

  • Clary sage (Salvia sclarea): growth height up to 110 cm, purple, red or white flowers, similar in aroma to sage
  • Whorled sage (Salvia verticillata): growth height 50-80 cm, flowers profusely from May to September
  • Silver-leaf sage (Salvia argentea): growth height of up to 70 cm, beautiful foliage shrub, hardy to -28 degrees
  • Sage 'Aurea' (Salvia officinalis 'Aurea'): growth height up to 60 cm, yellow-green variegated foliage, rich in essential oils

If sage is hardy, it fills gaps in the perennial bed during the cold season. This applies in particular to ornamental sage (Salvia nemorosa), which can be discovered in enchanting varieties. So it doesn't matter that the leaves are not suitable for consumption.

This is how sage gets through the winter

A broad temperature range is hidden behind the attribute 'winterproof'. Some species bravely brave even Siberian cold, while others should receive winter protection from -10 degrees Celsius. If in doubt, prepare the herbal plant in the bed for the cold season as follows:

  • Supply with a potassium-rich fertilizer from the beginning of July to mid-August
  • Stop fertilizing and cutting from the end of August
  • Leave the withered branches on the plant until spring
  • Cover the root area with leaves, straw or needle brushwood

If the winter weather is determined by frost, sage is at risk of drought stress. Sage should therefore be watered a little on frost-free days.

This is how sage becomes winterproof on the balcony

For sage in pots, special precautions apply in winter due to the exposed position of the root ball. In good time before the first frost, give the herbal plant this attention:

  • Wrap the bucket with bubble wrap or jute
  • Spread sawdust, leaves or straw on the substrate

Place the planter on insulating material, such as wood or styrofoam, in front of the south wall of the house. Ideally, a bright, frost-free winter quarters is available.

Tropical sage species do not tolerate frost

As part of the cultivation of exotic sage plants, the question 'Is sage hardy?' is superfluous. Due to their origin, species such as honeydew melon sage (Salvia elegans) or the sky-blue gentian sage (Salvia patens) do not naturally have winter hardiness. Carry these candidates in good time to a bright room with a temperature of 5 to 15 degrees Celsius.

tips and tricks

Does the poisonous thujone it contains bother you when you eat sage? Then plant the hardy Spanish sage (Salvia lavandulifolia), because it contains no thujone at all. Instead, the plant scores with beautiful, silvery, shimmering foliage and a mildly aromatic taste.

GTH

Category:

Herbs