My career in horticulture began in the mid-90s, so like styles of clothing and music, what was popular then comes back in style. Neon colors and crop tops, again in style. Elton John, also popular in the 90s (but really, every decade since the 70s). It will always be in style. So it would make sense that plants that were all the rage in the 90s would come back in a different form.
Enter the Russian Sage. When I was a student of landscape architecture, I studied the designs of Oehme, van Sweden, which often featured this silvery, airy perennial. Over time, gardeners seemed to shy away from Russian sage because of its tendency to droop as it aged. But the Russian sage is back, thanks to the improved “Blue Jean Baby” form.
I first encountered this new cultivar last summer at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden in Seal Harbor, Maine. Horticulturists had planted it at the front of a mixed border. At first glance, the 'Blue Jean Baby' looked more like a dense Sage species than the typical Russian sage (recently renamed Salvia yangiia name not accepted by everyone). As I approached and read the label, I was completely amazed and charmed. This show was much more than a dressmaker for the band. I thought, Draw me closer, little dancer, with your lavender blue flowers and dense gray foliage.
In its 2020 Russian Sage judging, the Chicago Botanic Garden rated 'Blue Jean Baby' a five-star performer. They noted that these plants “were consistently uniform in size and shape, which was not always evident in other cultivars.” Upright species can reach over 4 ½ feet tall and nearly 5 feet wide before drooping. The improved 'Blue Jean Baby' reaches almost half that height and width, making it a more attractive plant.
When growing this beauty in colder climates, be sure to plant in the spring to ensure full establishment and hardiness. It blooms from mid-summer to autumn, and can be cut back in the spring if necessary. Like other Russian sages, he is not bothered by rabbits or other hungry critters. If you've given up on growing this species, it's time to bust out the top and jorts, get Elton John on and plant 'Blue Jean Baby' in your garden. This forgotten landscape plant is back in style.
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Russian Sage 'Blue Jean Baby' Salvia yangii “Blue Jean Baby” (syn. Perovskia Areas: 4–9 Conditions: full sun; dry to medium, well-drained soil Native range: |
SOURCES
Bluestone Perennials, Madison, OH; 800-852-5243; bluestoneperennials.com
White Flower Farm, Litchfield, CT; 800-503-9624; whiteflowerfarm.com
Rodney Eason is the Director of Horticulture and Landscape at Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.
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