Tricolor Sage Plant

Tricolor Sage is not only an excellent herb for cooking with but a lovely ornamental shrubby perennial that will add color to any kitchen garden or patio herb container. Tricolor Sage has fantastic white, green, and purple markings on dense whorls of foliage. The flavor and color of this sage are more intense when grown in full sun, but it will also tolerate a partly shaded position in the garden. Gardening zones 6-9 can grow Tricolor Sage as a perennial, while the lower gardening zones can grow this as an annual.

Tricolor Sage Care  

Plant Tricolor Sage in a spot with full sun and very well-draining soil. The soil does not need to be rich or overly amended since sage prefers drier and sandy soils like those found in the Mediterranean regions where it is native. Water this sage when the top 2-3 inches of soil are dry to the touch. Sage is the type of herb that responds well to regular snipping back for use. The more you use it, the more tender young shoots develop, and the less chance the plant will bloom and set seed.

Growing Tricolor Sage

Tricolor Sage is a compact grower that matures to a height of 24 inches and a spread of 12 inches. Space plants 12 inches apart on the center when planting multiples. Sage can also be grown in a container and brought indoors for the fall and winter. Use a container with a 10-inch diameter that has large drainage holes. Sage does not like to sit in water and will quickly develop root rot. 

Tricolor Sage looks best when planted in large groups that highlight the decorative foliage. Plant it alongside other herbs in a formal Knot Garden design, with other Mediterranean plants in a hot, dry garden, or in pots and containers as the filler element of a seasonal display. 

Watering Tricolor Sage

Sage is a very drought-tolerant plant after it has been established and will not require much supplemental irrigation. Watering once a week with at least 0.5” of water will help garden sage thrive. 

Feeding Tricolor Sage

Sage is an herb that does not demand regular fertilizing. A mulch of 2-3 inches of organic compost early in the spring is sufficient to keep the foliage growth dense and colorful.

Tricolor Sage Plant Information