Best Russian sage cultivars

I grow Russian sage (*Perovskia atriplicifolia*, now reclassified as *Salvia yangii* by most authorities) in my zone 7a garden in Melville, Long Island. I have two plants of 'Little Spire' along the south-facing edge of my back bed, and they have required almost no maintenance in four years. They.

I grow Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia, now reclassified as Salvia yangii by most authorities) in my zone 7a garden in Melville, Long Island. I have two plants of 'Little Spire' along the south-facing edge of my back bed, and they have required almost no maintenance in four years. They bloom July through September, survive my sandy loam and dry summers without supplemental irrigation, and the deer essentially ignore them. This is not a plant I am enthusiastic about in a general way — it is a plant that has genuinely earned its space.

The taxonomic change from Perovskia to Salvia is relatively recent. Per Missouri Botanical Garden, the genus Perovskia was merged into Salvia based on phylogenetic research. Most nurseries still sell it as Perovskia or list both names; either is correct in current use.

Taxonomy note

Per Missouri Botanical Garden, the accepted current name is Salvia yangii. Synonyms include Perovskia atriplicifolia, P. angustifolia, and sometimes the commercial name "Russian sage." It is native to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and western China — not Russia, despite the common name.