How to Trim a Blue Sage Bush

Salvia grows different colored blooms like red, purple, white and blue.

Blue sage or salvia, has gray or green leaves with varying shades of blue blooms. These ornamental, yet practical herbs grow in dense bushes that must be trimmed occasionally to promote new growth and fragrant blossoms. Cornell University identifies several sage cultivars as "blue," including the Cambridge Blue and the Oxford Blue. Regardless of the cultivar, you can trim this herb without fear of damaging the plant by following a few basic rules.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp shears

Instructions

1. Prune the sage after the blooms shed but before late fall arrives using pruning shears.

2. Pull off dead flowers with your hands or trim them away with shears.

3. Clip away the tops of the blue sage using the sharp shears. Do not cut below the leafy steams.

4. Thin out the plant by examining the bush then choosing which branches you'll cut way. Cut away excessive side branches from larger branches to allow light to filter all the way down.

Tips & Warnings

• If your sage is a slow-grower, trim the bush just once or twice a year.

References

• Clemson Cooperative Extension; Salvia; Karen Russ, Bob Polomski; September 2007
• Arizona Cooperative Extension; Pruning Shrubs in the Low and Mid Elevation Deserts in Arizona; Ursula K. Schuch; October 2009
• Mountain Valley Growers: Salvia or Sage?