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How to Grow Sage: A Flavorful Guide to Planting, Harvesting, and Using This Classic Culinary Herb

Sage is a useful herb that can be easily grown in your garden.

Botanical Name
Salvia officinalis
Grown as
Perennial
USDA Zones
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
10a
10b
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
1–3 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Soil pH
Acidic
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Pink
Purple
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Cut Flower
Fragrant
Long Blooming
Low Maintenance
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Hummingbirds
Attracts Pollinators
Deer-resistant
Rabbit-resistant
Resilience
Cold Hardy
Drought-Tolerant
Plant Type
Herbs
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

If your kitchen had a signature scent, sage might just be it. This aromatic herb brings cozy comfort to every dish it touches—especially that Thanksgiving stuffing everyone asks you for the recipe to. Luckily, garden sage isn’t just delicious; it’s delightfully easy to grow. 

Whether you’re seasoning your Sunday roast or adding a pop of green to your garden, here’s how to plant, care for, and harvest this time-tested kitchen staple.

Sage is a hardy perennial with pretty, grayish-green leaves that are as good in a perennial border as they are in a vegetable garden. It grows spikes of spring flowers in different colors, including purple, blue, white, and pink. According to Rosie Lerner from Perdue, “If left to flower, sage will produce blue blooms that attract butterflies, but this leaves less oil content, translating to reduced flavor in the leaves.” See more flowers that attract butterflies!

Buy Seeds Now

Note: Not all sage varieties are culinary; the most popular kitchen sage is called Salvia officinalis. The origin of the Salvia name speaks to this herb’s age-old medicinal value from the Latin salvus, “to save,” and salvere, “to heal.” Sage contains antioxidants that help reduce the risk of serious health conditions like cancer. It’s also rich in vitamin K, which aids the body in clotting blood.

Planting

How to Plant Sage

  • Plant sage in full sun.
  • Sage should be planted in well-draining soil; it won’t tolerate sitting in wet soil.
  • The easiest and best way to start sage is from a small plant. Set the plants 2 feet apart.
  • You can also sow seeds up to 2 weeks before the last frost date. (See local frost dates.) Plant the seeds/cuttings in well-draining soil 1 to 2 weeks before the last spring frost.
  • For best growth, the soil should be between 60º and 70ºF.
  • Plants should reach between 12 and 30 inches in height.
  • In the garden, plant near rosemary, cabbage, and carrots, but keep sage away from cucumbers.

Growing

How to Grow Sage

  • Be sure to water the young plants regularly until they are fully grown so that they don’t dry out. They’ll need a consistent moisture supply until they start growing quickly.
  • Prune the heavier, woody stems every spring.
  • It’s best to replace the plants every few years so they remain productive.
  • You can grow sage from cuttings!

sage plant

 

Harvesting

How to Harvest Sage

  • Pinch off leaves or snip off small sprigs from the plant.
  • During the first year, harvest lightly to ensure that the plant grows fully.
  • After the first year, be sure to leave a few stalks so that the plant can rejuvenate in the future.
  • If fully established, one plant can be harvested up to three times in one season.
  • Stop harvesting in the fall so the plant can prepare for winter.

How to Store Sage

  • Sage’s flavor is best when fresh, but it can be stored frozen or dried.
  • To dry, hang sprigs in a shady, well-ventilated area and allow them to air dry, waiting until the leaves crumble easily to store in tightly lidded jars.
  • Sage keeps its flavor better if stored in the freezer. Freeze leaves or stalks on a tray, then move the leaves into a zippered bag or container. Some cooks blend the leaves with oil, pack the ground mixture into ice cube trays to freeze, and then transfer the cubes to a container.

Pests and Problems

Types

  • ‘Berggarten’, a robust plant with very large silver-gray leaves
  • ’Tricolor’ sage, for a bit of color in the garden (yellow, mauve, and sage green)
  • ‘Icterina’ has green leaves with yellow edges

'Tricolor' sage

Wit and Wisdom

  • Anyone who has sage planted in their garden is reputed to do well in business.
  • Susan Mahr of the University of Wisconsin–Madison tells us, “Sage is often mentioned as the herb of immortality, domestic virtue, health, and wisdom. Sage was a sacred ceremonial herb of the Romans. It has been cultivated for both culinary and medicinal purposes for many centuries in Europe.”
  • For other greens to use in your cuisine, see the Leafy Greens: Health Benefits page.

Herbs

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Manda_Faye</span> Fri, 08/02/2013 - 16:52
I've begun growing sage from seed, and I planted them in pots so I could move them around. The plants grew really, really well, but I was worried they were too close together and thinned them out. The plants are only about three inches tall. WHat should I do to ensure that they continue growing strongly?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 08/06/2013 - 11:09

Some thoughts . . . Sage can be picky about temperature. When you germinate seeds, temperatures need to be between 60 and 70 degrees. We're not sure where you live, but sage doesn't tolerate the middle of summer well.  It's good that your sage has space. You want 18 to 20 inche bbetween sage and other plants for the roots to do well. Also, be sure not to overwater. Let the soil dry out between waterings.

 <span>Davitt</span> Sun, 07/28/2013 - 13:37
A few months ago I planted three small sage plants near each other. One has grown exponentially, one is healthy but slow-growing, and one is dying. All are on the same watering schedule. any thoughts?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 07/29/2013 - 10:00

It's hard to say. Some seeds simply geminate better than others. Also, it could be related to spacing. They should be spaced about 20 inches apart for good growth. 

 <span>Emily5</span> Tue, 07/02/2013 - 13:44
Are the leaves what you use in cooking?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 07/08/2013 - 12:34
Yes, you pick the sage leaves off the stem. Pick leaves that aren't wilting or brown. Wash them and pat dry. Use whole or chop up.
<span>Roxanna Abela</span> Wed, 06/19/2013 - 18:30
I have a sage plant that looks old it was planted in a raised bed that I acquired. I trimmed it back earlier and now it's going nuts it's blossoming like crazy. But it's taking over the part of the bed it's in. Can I move it while it's blooming?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 06/20/2013 - 09:19
Unfortunately, this is a poor time to transplant sage. It's in bloom and the weather is warm. In general, sage can be a challenge to move because you can not easily dig up the plant; when you do, the soil falls off because the roots are woody. It's best to move the plant in small sections in early spring. Since your sage has spread too much, you could dig up part of it and discard it now, then wait until next spring and move new little plants that you may find or other small parts of the plant, which you can easily separate.
<span>Roxanna Abela</span> Thu, 06/20/2013 - 20:02
Thank you for answering my post. My plant is so well established I don't know how to take part of it LOL Thank you for your time.
<span>Keely</span> Tue, 06/04/2013 - 09:17
I have a sage plant that is well established and large that I need to move. Will it transplant well?