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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!

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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

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 06/06/2013 - 15:16
It's best to move the sage plant in the spring just as growth resumes.
<span>Myuncertanty</span> Tue, 11/13/2012 - 22:45
What is the best way to start a new plant from a cutting of an established sage plant?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 11/15/2012 - 15:25
Make a soil mix from equal parts sand and compost (or peat moss). Fill a few small pots with the mix. Take cuttings from your sage plant and remove the bottom leaves. For better chance of success, dip the bottom of the stems in a root-inducing hormone powder before putting the cuttings into the pots. Water and cover each pot with a plastic bag. When the cuttings have established roots remove the bags.
<span>Anonymous</span> Sat, 05/12/2012 - 10:33
I have harvested my herbs, and they dry very fast, other times I have harvested my herbs and they take days to dry. I have failed to take note of those days harvested, so I am at a loss when they dried faster. What phase of the moon is better? Thanks
<span>C. Dais</span> Thu, 08/18/2016 - 08:28
I live in Northern Virginia , just outside of our Nation's Capital, where it gets hot and humid. I've had my current sage plant for about 2 years now. The previous one died one winter, after a snowy and cold 3 months. That plant was about 4 years old. When it's hot and humid, be sure you keep your soil moist. I use egg-shell water for all my herbs and it works wonders. The amount of direct sunlight affects the plants as well. When you buy young starter plants be sure the instruction spikes are included. Drying herbs upside down in a brown paper bag does the trick. They remain fragrant and maintains their fresh flavor. Once they dried just crumble them by hand, and store in pantry or cabinet in air tight glass jars. Baby food jars are perfect! After 14 years of growing and harvesting fresh herbs, I've gotten pretty good at it. If I could be of any help just ask.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 05/15/2012 - 10:05
It will depend on the type of herb, how much moisture the herbs contain, and how much one is drying at once. Drying time is also affected by the environment (humidity, temperature, air circulation, etc.), the method used for drying, etc. A warm temperature, low humidity, and good ventilation will dry herbs more rapidly. If it is a muggy few days, the herbs will take longer to air dry. (Keep them out of direct sunlight.) If using a dehydrator, oven, or microwave, times may still vary with moisture content of individual herbs. If rinsing the herbs before drying, be sure to pat dry fairly well. If drying on the tray, be sure to stir the leaves every so often for even drying. Best time to harvest herbs for drying is just before they flower. Cut them in the morning, after any dew has dried. There are several interpretations as to when it is best to harvest herbs according to lunar gardening. One suggestion is to harvest them when the Moon is both in the Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) and full or waning.
<span>Anonymous</span> Wed, 03/21/2012 - 13:47
I am so excited to learn I can grow more from a cutting!
<span>Myles Starr</span> Fri, 04/29/2016 - 17:24
Hello there. I just purchased a blue steel Russian sage plant that is about that is roughly a foot tall or more in length. How do I go about planting this and upkeep? I am completely new to gardening and would love to know how to do this the correct way.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 05/02/2016 - 15:35

Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is a beautiful bushy perennial plant that grows 3 to 5 feet tall, in zones 4 to 9. It appreciates full sun and well-drained, sandy or loamy soil. Drought tolerant, although appreciates consistent watering the first year. Deer resistant. It flowers in summer. In early spring before new growth emerges, cut it back to about one foot. It will often die back in northern winters, but resprout in spring; provide winter protection in northern climates.

Please note that this is not the same as culinary sage--do not eat the leaves. The flowers are said to be edible, but try just small taste at first, if desired, to make sure there are no allergic reactions.