Perovskia 'Littlle Spire' PPAF

Russian Sage

Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Little Spire’ is a compact, woody-based herbaceous perennial with aromatic, silvery-gray to gray-green foliage and upright stems topped with airy lavender-blue flower spikes. It blooms from midsummer into early fall and gives a soft, cloud-like texture to sunny borders, dry gardens, pollinator plantings, and low-water landscapes. It is now often listed botanically as Salvia yangii ‘Little Spire’, but Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Little Spire’ remains the common trade name. Missouri Botanical Garden describes Russian sage as a mint-family, woody-based perennial with finely dissected aromatic gray-green leaves and tubular light-blue flowers in branched terminal panicles.

Type: Woody-based herbaceous perennial
Mature Size: 18–24 in. wide × 18–30 in. tall
USDA Zones: 4a–8b
Form: Compact, upright, airy clump
Light: Full sun
Soil / Water: Average to lean, well-drained soil; low water once established; drought tolerant
Bloom Time / Length: Midsummer to early fall; often July–October
Wildlife: Attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; deer and rabbit resistant

Features & Landscape Uses:
Excellent for sunny borders, xeriscapes, rock gardens, pollinator gardens, cottage gardens, mass plantings, and dry slopes. Its smaller size makes it easier to fit into tighter spaces than taller Russian sage cultivars, while still giving the same silver foliage and lavender-blue flower haze. It pairs well with ornamental grasses, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, yarrow, sedum, catmint, salvia, coreopsis, and other sun-loving perennials. Plant Delights lists ‘Little Spire’ as a compact form hardy in Zones 4a–8b and about 25 in. tall.

Care:
Plant in full sun with excellent drainage. Avoid rich, wet, or heavy soil, which can cause floppy growth or winter loss. Cut plants back hard in early spring once new growth begins, usually to about 6–12 inches above the ground. Avoid heavy fertilizing; lean soil helps keep the plant compact and sturdy.

Plant type

Perennial

Height

18-30"

Width

18-24"

Hardiness zones

4–8

Sunlight

Full Sun

Growth rate

Moderate

Bloom time

Late Fall, Late Summer

Leaf color

Green

Attracts

Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Soil

Average, Well Drained

Landscape use

Border, Erosion control slopes, Rock Garden

Shape

Clump, Compact, Upright

Fragrant

Yes

Deer resistant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No