How big does Autumn sage grow?

About 75 cm × 75 cm after ten years (height × width). Its ultimate size is 60–90 cm × 60–90 cm.

What soil does Autumn sage grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, sandy.

Is Autumn sage hardy?

Hardy down to -15 °C (USDA zone 7, RHS H5). Outdoors in this country it only survives with winter protection, or in a pot overwintered frost-free.

When does Autumn sage flower?

Flowering: June–October, red, pink, white, purple, orange.

How much water does Autumn sage need?

Water need: low. Drought tolerance: high.

Autumn sage

Salvia greggii

Autumn sage (Salvia greggii) is a perennial that reaches 75 cm × 75 cm after ten years. Light: full sun. Hardy down to -15 °C. Drought tolerance: high.

Illustration of Autumn sage — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

A small-leaved, aromatic subshrub that carries red, pink, white or purple lipped flowers from early summer until frost and copes very well with heat and drought. Nurseries sell it together with the very similar baby sage and the hybrids between the two (the two-tone red and white kinds belong here), often mixed up, and their needs and hardiness are essentially the same. It is only borderline hardy: plant it in spring in a sheltered, sunny spot by a warm wall, in lean, gritty soil that drains freely, mulch the base for winter and cut it back only in spring, or grow it in a pot and overwinter it somewhere bright and frost-free.

Watch out for

In Central Europe winter is its weak point: it is cut back by frost somewhere between about -10 and -18 °C depending on the variety, and in cold, damp, heavy soil it dies in milder winters than that. In a sheltered position with dry feet and a mulch over the base it resprouts from the base in most years, but a harsh winter without snow can kill it, so take cuttings in autumn or overwinter it in a pot. Do not cut it back in autumn; prune in spring once new shoots show. In shade it gets leggy and hardly flowers; under glass whitefly and aphids can be a nuisance.

Key facts

Light: Full sun
Water need: Low
Care: Medium
Size after 10 years: 75 cm × 75 cm
Hardiness: down to -15 °C
Foliage: Semi-evergreen
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D June–October, red, pink, white, purple, orange

All details

Group	Perennial
Light	Full sun
Size after 10 years	75 cm × 75 cm
Ultimate size	60–90 cm × 60–90 cm
Hardiness	down to -15 °C (USDA 7, RHS H5)
Soil	Average garden soil, Sandy
Foliage	Semi-evergreen
Flowering	June–October, red, pink, white, purple, orange
Water need	Low
Drought tolerance	High
Maintenance	Medium
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no
Spreading	Low
Distance from buildings	no data
Distance from paving	no data
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	50 cm
For dogs	no data
For cats	no data
For children	no data
Typical price	no data

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 17, 2026 · How our data is made

Appears in these lists

Perennials for full sun Perennials that flower all summer Drought-tolerant plants Drought-tolerant perennials Drought-tolerant plants for sandy soil Perennials for pollinators Plants for containers Plants for a Mediterranean garden Fragrant plants Fragrant perennials

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