Anise-scented Sage is a tender perennial from South America that rewards gardeners with stunning deep blue flowers and an intoxicating anise fragrance. Hardy in zones 8-10 (or grown as an annual elsewhere), this bushy sage grows 2 to 5 feet tall depending on your climate and reaches similar width, creating a substantial presence in the garden. Two-lipped tubular flowers bloom from midsummer through frost, their purple-blue calyxes rising in showy spikes that hummingbirds and butterflies cannot resist. The square, dark green stems have an architectural quality, and the entire plant emits that distinctive anise scent when brushed or handled.
18
Partial Sun
Moderate
8-10
60in H x 60in W
—
High
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Deep blue flowers with purple-blue calyxes bloom reliably from July through the first frost, creating months of nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies. The anise fragrance is immediate and intoxicating, emerging the moment you brush against the foliage or stems. Deer leave it untouched, and the plant thrives in full sun to partial shade with minimal fuss once established, asking only moderate water and well-drained soil. When grown as an annual in cooler zones, it reaches 2.5 to 3 feet, but given winter protection in zones 8-10, it can stretch to 5 feet or more.
Anise-scented Sage is primarily grown as an ornamental herb for its stunning blooms and fragrant foliage rather than culinary use. The showy flowers and pollinator-attracting qualities make it valuable in cutting gardens and mixed perennial borders. It thrives in containers, where its size can be managed and the anise fragrance enjoyed up close.
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Start seeds indoors before your last spring frost date in soil kept between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Note that this cultivar is best propagated from cuttings rather than seed for truest variety characteristics.
Set out transplants after the last spring frost date into average, evenly moist, well-drained soil. Space plants 24 to 60 inches apart depending on your desired mature size and layout.
Cut stems back in late spring to reduce legginess and encourage a bushier, more compact form. This cultivar responds well to pruning and will fill out attractively if given this early-season cutback.
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