How to Grow and Care for Autumn Sage

Autumn Sage Care

Autumn sage is a fairly easy-going plant. Here are the main care requirements for growing autumn sage.

• Plant in a spot that gets lots of sunlight, ideally at least six hours.
• Place in dry, well-drained soil, but do not plant in wet, clay-based soil.
• Water moderately, though autumn sage is fairly drought-tolerant once established.
• Fertilize lightly each spring.

Light

In most regions, this plant will thrive in a site with full sun, but in very hot climates it will appreciate some shade during the heat of the day.

Soil

Give the plant moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Autumn sage does well in gravely, rocky soil, but may not tolerate dense clay-based soil.

Water

Water regularly after planting. Once established, plants require only average watering—no more than 1 inch per week. Do not overwater; in many regions, rainfall is enough.

Like most types of salvia, autumn sage does not flourish with excess moisture. If your garden soil does not meet this need, consider planting in a container or a xeriscape landscape.

Temperature and Humidity

Native to southern Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico, this type of salvia is tolerant of heat, humidity, and drought. Autumn sage is generally hardy to about 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures can be damaging or deadly to the plants. Autumn sage often remains evergreen through the winter in warmer climates (zones 8 and 9) but is usually deciduous in zones 6 and 7.

Fertilizer

All sage plants are light feeders, and autumn sage is no exception. If your soil is moderately fertile, no additional feeding may be necessary at all. At most, you can apply a handful of balanced slow-release fertilizer around the base of the plant each spring.

Types of Autumn Sage

There are several cultivars of autumn sage, all with similar shapes and growth habits, but with different flower hues:

• S. greggii ‘Wild Thing’: a widely used cold-hardy cultivar with hot pink flowers.
• S. greggii ‘Radio Red’: the brightest red of all cultivars.
• S. greggii ‘Elk Pomegranate’: raspberry-colored flowers.
• S. greggii ‘Glimmer Heatwave’: pure white flowers.
• S. greggii ‘Ignition Purple’: a recent introduction with bright purple flowers.
• S. greggii ‘Furman’s Red’: another bright red cultivar.
• S. greggii ‘Lowrey’s Peach’: rosy orange flowers with yellow throats.
• S. greggii ‘Playa Rosa’: lovely two-toned pink flowers.

Pruning

An early-season shearing that removes about one-third of the stem length will cause the bush to become very dense and full, though it does slightly delay the first blooms.

During the growing season, individual branches can be trimmed back to the main stems to keep the shrub full and nicely shaped. At the end of the growing season, it’s best to severely prune the shrub back to just above ground level, which encourages quick and robust regrowth the following spring.

Propagating Autumn Sage

Autumn sage is best propagated through softwood cuttings or root divisions. Stem cuttings or divisions will often produce flowering plants in their first year.

Here’s how to propagate autumn sage through softwood cuttings:

1. In late summer or fall, use sharp pruners to cut 3- to 4-inch cuttings from the tips of actively growing (but non-flowering) stems. Remove all but the top two leaves from each cutting.
2. Fill 4-inch pots with a mixture of ordinary potting mix and sand or vermiculite. Dip the ends of the cuttings in rooting hormone and plant them in the pots.
3. Water the cuttings thoroughly, and place each pot in a loosely secured plastic bag to hold in humidity and moisture.
4. Place the pots in a bright but not sunny location at about 68 degrees Fahrenheit until they develop roots—usually three weeks or so.
5. Remove the pots from the bags and continue to grow the new plants in a sunny location through the winter. Your new autumn sage plants can be transplanted into the garden in spring once daytime temperatures are reliably at 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

How to propagate through root division:

1. Divide roots in early spring as the overwintered stems are just beginning to unfurl their leaves.
2. Dig up the entire root ball with a shovel.
3. Carefully divide the root ball into quarters with a disinfected sharp knife or trowel.
4. Immediately replant the divisions into new locations.
5. Keep newly planted divisions well-watered until they are established and actively growing.

How to Grow Autumn Sage From Seed

Seed propagation is a considerably slower process than propagating by cuttings or division. Here are the easy steps to take:

1. Collect the seed pods that appear after the flowers have faded.
2. Dry and split the seed pods open to collect the seeds inside.
3. Start the seeds indoors by putting them in pots filled with commercial potting mixture blended with sand.
4. Keep pots moist and in a bright spot until they germinate in about three weeks.
5. The seedlings should be nursed along for a few more weeks until they appear robust enough to transplant into the garden. Also, seeds can be sown directly in the outdoor garden after the last frost of winter.

Potting and Repotting

Though it’s not common, growing autumn sage in a container on a patio or deck is perfectly possible. Make sure to use a gritty, well-draining potting mix (potting mix blended with sand is a common formula) and a large pot with good drainage holes. But this is not a successful houseplant that adapts well to moving back and forth between indoor and outdoor locations.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Autumn sage is easy to maintain with no serious issues. However, there are a handful of pests to watch out for, including leafhoppers, slugs, snails, rosemary beetles, whiteflies, and aphids. Maintaining dry conditions, using horticultural soaps, and the responsible application of pesticides can assist in controlling these pests.

Few plant diseases affect autumn sage, but crown rot can occur if the plant is struggling in poorly draining dense soil. This plant is especially resentful of wet winter conditions.

How to Get Autumn Sage to Bloom

In proper growing conditions, autumn sage should bloom readily, bringing a host of pollinators to your garden.

Bloom Months

Normally, this plant blooms robustly in spring and early summer, then again in fall, with somewhat more sparse and less vigorous flowering continuing during the heat of summer.

What Do Autumn Sage’s Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Autumn sage produces whorls of blossoms that appear atop foliage of 2-inch green oval leaves. The two-lipped flowers are usually red or hot pink, though some cultivars offer shades of purple, orange, or white. The leaves offer the most fragrance with a minty scent.

How to Encourage More Blooms

A partial shearing after the spring blooms are complete will often stimulate an impressive second flush of flowers.

This plant needs lots of sun; shady locations will reduce flowering. And excessive feeding can result in fewer blossoms, as fertilizer tends to promote foliage growth at the expense of flowers. At most, feed once in the spring, using a balanced slow-release fertilizer—most plants bloom fine with no feeding at all.

Deadheading Autumn Sage Flowers

Flowers can be deadheaded as they fade and wilt. The failure to do this may result in many volunteer plants. This plant will self-seed quite vigorously, which is ideal if you want autumn sage to spread.

Common Problems With Autumn Sage

Autumn sage is a largely problem-free plant, but you may notice the following issues:

Leaves Turn Yellow

While there can be a temptation to water frequently during hot spells, these plants don’t tolerate more than about 1 inch of water per week. If you have regular rainfall, additional irrigation is usually not necessary at all. Too much water often results in yellowing leaves.

Leaves Turn Brown and Drop

In very hot climates, autumn sage plants can burn if they receive too much direct sunlight. Prolonged temps above 110 degrees Fahrenheit can burn out plants, and in such a climate it is best to grow autumn sage where it gets some shade during the heat of the afternoon.

Wilting Leaves and Stems

Autumn sage may wilt if it is overwatered—or if it is watered heavily at the wrong time of day. It’s best to water in the morning—not in the afternoon, when quick evaporation can raise humidity levels around the plant, causing wilting.