Cool-season produce

Culinary sage

Salvia officinalis

Also known as Garden sage · Common sage

This is the edible kitchen sage, not the catalog's ornamental Texas sage. Use excellent drainage and afternoon shade as summer approaches.

EdibleCool-season crop

Growing spaceVegetable bed

Climate fitUrban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b

Crop familyLamiaceae (mint)

Life cyclePerennial herb

Phoenix planting windowOctober–November or February–April for establishment.

How to plantTransplant or root cuttings; seed-grown plants vary.

Plant spacing18–24 in

FrostTolerates light frost once established; cover during a hard freeze.

Time to harvestClip lightly once established; no fixed maturity

SuccessionMaintain a perennial plant; replace if summer heat or wet roots weaken it.

Special categoriesEDIBLE

Typical harvestPick small amounts of leaves through the mild season.

Right plant, right place

Will Culinary sage grow at your Arizona property?

This is the edible kitchen sage, not the catalog's ornamental Texas sage. Use excellent drainage and afternoon shade as summer approaches.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.

Light

Full winter sun; give leafy crops afternoon protection during warm fall and spring weather.

Water

Keep the vegetable root zone evenly moist with regular irrigation; adjust to rain, soil, and temperature rather than using a fixed summer schedule.

Planting & stewardship

1
Prepare a fertile, well-drained bed and keep seed or transplants evenly moist through establishment.
2
Thin to the final spacing; crowding reduces harvest quality.
3
Watch for aphids and caterpillars and protect sensitive growth from a hard freeze.
4
Harvest before sustained spring heat causes bolting or poor quality.

Read the growing reference ↗ Planting dates can shift with cultivar, weather, and your yard’s microclimate.