Pruning Perennial Salvias
This is all about pruning perennial salvias so the plants stay healthy and flower in abundance.
Salvias are popular all the world over. I’ve seen them growing in England, the Canary Islands, Mexico, and many different places in the US. These plants are so versatile because they can comfortably fit into many styles of gardens, from old-fashioned cottage right up to modern, simplistic ones.
They grow well here in California, where our Mediterranean climate suits them to a tee, and they are loved because they have a long bloom time. Their non-thirsty ways make sense, given our lack of rainfall for many years.
NOTE: This was published in 2014. Rather than do an extensive update on this, I’ve done a newer post on Pruning & Trimming 3 Types Of Salvias In Spring Or Fall with more information you’ll want to check out.
I was a San Francisco Bay Area professional gardener for over 20 years. This is where I first learned all about perennial salvias. The nursery where I worked in Berkeley sold many different species and varieties. This post is all about sharing what I know about pruning the two most popular types of perennial salvias you probably have in your garden.
This is Salvia officinalis (with the lavender flower) or Culinary sage, which is perennial here in Santa Barbara but an annual in colder climates. It is a semi-shrubby (or shrublet if you prefer to call it that), woody salvia which falls into the pruning category 1. It’s smaller than the greggi below, so I would only cut it back by 6-8″ after flowering. Then, you can dry the leaves to use for cooking.
I’m going to talk about pruning salvias here in coastal California. You can tweak the process for your climate zone if they’re also perennials where you live. The first type is the herbaceous salvias with woody stems. These are the shrubby salvias.
A few that fall into this category that you may know are Salvia greggii (there are so many of these!), S. chamaedryoides, S. coccinea and S. microphylla. There are quite a few microphyllas, too – the one you see in the video is “Hot Lips.” These you prune back after flowering but not all the way.
This is Salvia greggi, a common landscape plant. It has woody stems & also falls in the 1st pruning category. After each flowering cycle, I would take it down by at least a foot.
Take them back to at least where the first set of foliage starts on the flower stem – this could be a pinch, or you can take them down further if you’d like. I learned the hard way on an established plant to not cut it down to 3″. It never fully came back; out it came, and into the compost it went.
With these types of salvias, I thin out the middle a bit and then shape the plant so it’s pleasing to the eye. They usually go through 3 bloom cycles throughout the year here. We have a long growing season. I would give them a mild pruning in the fall and a more intense one in the late winter or early spring if needed.
There’s the whole fall pruning versus spring pruning debate. I don’t prune the plants with a little more substance in the fall and leave them be over the winter. Then, I do an early spring haircut and shaping.
Be sure to take out any growth that has died over the winter. If you don’t give these salvias some pruning, they will get extremely woody and won’t repeat bloom like you want them to.
In my years working with salvias, I found that some needed to be replaced before or around the 5-year mark. This is especially true with this type. Some perennials don’t live forever, after all.
They tend to get straggly over time. No worries if you have to replace any because they grow fast, especially if you purchase a 1-gallon plant.
This is Salvia leucantha or Mexican Bush Sage. They’re deciduous salvias with soft stems & fall into the 2nd pruning category. Once the stems have flowered & died off, cut them to the ground.
Second up are the deciduous herbaceous salvias. The old growth eventually dies out, and the fresh new growth emerges from the base of the base.
They have softer stems that either die off and/or freeze. Plants that fall into this category are Salvia elegans, S. guaranitica, s. leucantha, s. waverley and s. patens. In the video you see me working on a Salvia leucantha or Mexican Bush Sage. These salvias are very simple to prune.
When it’s through flowering, cut those stems down to the ground. It needs to be done once or twice a year. They will still flower if you don’t, but you’ll get more blooms, and the plant will look 100% better if you do.
Here in Santa Barbara, the leucanthas and the Waverleys get huge. Many of them are not cut back, leaving a tangle of dead, twisted stems, and they look like a ratty mess. It’s best to give them the shearing back they need.
You’ll see the soft new growth appearing at the base. Another thing to know is that these salvias tend to spread as they grow, so you might have to do a bit of dividing.
This is Salvia spathacea or Hummingbird sage, which is also a deciduous perennial, pruning category 2. In the left foreground is the new growth. Cut the flower stalks (the old growth) in the back down to the ground after they’re completely spent.
Knowing what kind of salvia you have is best before jumping into action with the pruners. Both of these types of salvias benefit from a good haircut.
You’ll get a much better bloom and shape if you do so. No ratty-looking plants in our gardens, please!
Note: This was published in 2014. Rather than do an extensive update on this, I’ve done a newer post on Pruning & Trimming 3 Types Of Salvias In Spring Or Fall with more information you’ll want to check out.
In the video below, you’ll see me pruning these two types of salvias. Enjoy!
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Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.
Hi Nell – We live in San Ramon, Ca. and have what I think is Salvia Clevelandii. It is 3 years old and about 4 feet high & wide . I just pruned it yesterday cutting about 1 foot off and hoping I did it right. I am not sure to cut it more, or leave it be. I have the before and after pictures, but I am not sure how to include it in your vlog. -Thank you, Rolando.
Hi Rolando – Salvia Clevelandii is a CA native plant & very easy to grow. They do get woody over the years though. I’ve found that it’s best to prune them back (how much depends on the age) after flowering & then again in fall. You can give it a light pruning in spring, more like a tip pruning. What you did now is fine. After flowering cut it back by about the same amount & then again in fall. Woody salvias which are older respond better to that type of pruning. Nell
Hi Nell – You provide homeowners like us a lot of knowledge and encouragement. -Thanks so much, Rolando
My pleasure Rolando The 1st time I cut back an older, overgrown woody Salvia greggii to about 10-12″ from the ground, it never recovered. I learned from experience – easy does it with those! Nell
Hi!
I have a large raised flower bed in my yard (I live in Long Beach, CA) and have the Mexican Salvia. They have gown large and wide and have bloomed with their lovely purple felt flowers. I would like to cut them back, as they are overtaking my garden. Can you tell me if it is ok to prune back, if so, how much and how far down on the stems. I would like them to grow and bloom again this season, but am a novice at this. Can you give me any suggestions? Thanks for your help, Mary-Jo
Hi Mary-Jo – Yes, they are deciduous herbaceous Salvias whose stems which have bloomed need to be cut all the way back each year. The new growth appears from the base. I explain it more in this updated post on Salvias: https://www.joyusgarden.com/pruning-salvias/ You’ll see it in that video too. By the way, do it soon. Hope that helps! Nell
Planted Hot Lips about a year ago. My soil is heavy clay- I cut back the plant a bit a few months ago but it still looks woody, thin, and is barely flowering. Its about two feet in both directions. Is there any amendment or anything else that would help? (Yes I should have done something about the soil before I planted it)Its being watered on drip. I don’t think its getting too much water. I have a cleveland sage in the same area and its doing great. Just got a Salvia chamaedryoides- what’s the care for that? thanks for the help!
Hi Liz – It’s best to amend those heavy clay soils before you plant. Worms always help to aerate the soil by the way. You can try mixing in a good local compost, which loosens the soil, around the plant. Regarding the S. chamaedryoides, care for it like the other salvias. It is a woody stemmed perennial by the way to you want to prune it like the S. greggiis, microphyllas, etc. Nell
I live in Dallas area. When should I prune my Black and Blue salvias and how much.
Hi Janice – That’s a woody salvia. You want to deadhead it after each bloom. You can cut it back a few weeks before the 1st frost or wait until after danger of frost is over in spring – your choice. I choose to cut them back in fall. Don’t take it down lower than 1.5 – 2′ from the ground. Hope that helps, Nell