Oregon · Washington · Idaho

When to plant sage

Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 15 – May 10; Spokane Apr 15 – Jun 10; Boise Apr 1 – May 27; Bend May 12 – Jul 7.

Sage is a woody, gray-leaved perennial herb in the mint family, used with poultry, pork, beans and browned butter, and in stuffing. Common garden sage is the cooking type; purple, golden and tricolor forms taste similar and look good in borders. Its blue-violet flowers in early summer draw bees.

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Puts sage on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.

Difficulty: Easy
Sun: Full sun
Spacing: 18 to 24 inches apart
Planting depth: Plant at the depth it grew in the nursery pot
Frost: Very hardy in well-drained soil; purple and golden types less so
First harvest: Pick lightly the first year, freely after that

A woody perennial herb that likes sun and dry feet. Wet winter soil kills more sage here than cold does, so a raised bed, slope or pot is the safest spot.

Sage planting dates

Towns	Plant in the garden
Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WA	Mar 15 – May 10
Spokane, WA	Apr 15 – Jun 10
Boise and Meridian, ID, Astoria, OR	Apr 1 – May 27
Bend and Redmond, OR	May 12 – Jul 7

Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.

Gresham, OR, Oregon City and West Linn, OR, Portland, OR, St. Helens and Scappoose, OR, Wilsonville and Canby, OR	Mar 15 – May 10
Hillsboro and Beaverton, OR	Mar 19 – May 14

Corvallis and Albany, OR, Eugene, OR, Salem, OR	Mar 15 – May 10
Cottage Grove, OR	Mar 27 – May 22
McMinnville and Newberg, OR	Mar 18 – May 13

Ashland and Talent, OR	Apr 8 – Jun 3
Grants Pass, OR, Medford, OR, Roseburg, OR	Mar 15 – May 10

Astoria, OR, Brookings and Gold Beach, OR, Coos Bay and North Bend, OR, Newport and Lincoln City, OR, Tillamook, OR	Apr 1 – May 27

Bend and Redmond, OR, Klamath Falls, OR	May 12 – Jul 7
Burns, OR	May 14 – Jul 9
Lakeview, OR	May 7 – Jul 2
Madras, OR	Apr 21 – Jun 16
Prineville, OR	May 4 – Jun 29

Baker City, OR	Apr 27 – Jun 22
Enterprise and Joseph, OR	Apr 26 – Jun 21
Hermiston, OR, Hood River, OR, Ontario, OR, Pendleton, OR, The Dalles, OR	Apr 1 – May 27
John Day, OR	Apr 30 – Jun 25
La Grande, OR	Apr 15 – Jun 10

Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA, Everett, WA, Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA, Seattle and Tacoma, WA	Mar 15 – May 10
Olympia, WA	Apr 1 – May 27
Shelton, WA	Mar 30 – May 25

Anacortes, WA, Bellingham, WA, Friday Harbor and the San Juans, WA, Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA, Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island, WA	Mar 15 – May 10

Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA, Forks, WA, Long Beach and Ilwaco, WA	Apr 1 – May 27
Port Angeles, WA, Port Townsend, WA	Mar 15 – May 10
Sequim, WA	Mar 24 – May 19

Centralia and Chehalis, WA	Mar 25 – May 20
Longview and Kelso, WA, Vancouver, WA	Mar 15 – May 10

Chelan, WA, Wenatchee, WA	Apr 1 – May 27
Leavenworth, WA, Omak and Okanogan, WA	Apr 15 – Jun 10
Winthrop and Twisp, WA	Apr 17 – Jun 12

Ellensburg, WA	Apr 15 – Jun 10
Ephrata and Quincy, WA, Moses Lake, WA, Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA, Walla Walla, WA	Apr 1 – May 27
Goldendale, WA	Apr 21 – Jun 16
Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser, WA	Apr 3 – May 29
Yakima, WA	Apr 10 – Jun 5

Colville, WA, Pullman, WA, Spokane, WA	Apr 15 – Jun 10

Bonners Ferry, ID, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, ID, Sandpoint, ID	Apr 15 – Jun 10

Lewiston, ID	Apr 1 – May 27
Moscow, ID	Apr 15 – Jun 10

Boise and Meridian, ID, Nampa and Caldwell, ID	Apr 1 – May 27
Emmett, ID	Apr 2 – May 28
McCall, ID	May 25 – Jul 20

Burley and Rupert, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Pocatello, ID, Rexburg, ID, Twin Falls, ID	Apr 15 – Jun 10
Salmon, ID	Apr 19 – Jun 14

Sage year at a glance

Task	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O
Plant	Mar	Apr	May
Harvest		Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct
In bloom			May	Jun

Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates.

How to grow sage

Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
Plant young sage plants on your city's dates, 18 to 24 inches apart. Plant at the depth it grew in the nursery pot.
Water through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. Cut back by about a third in spring once new growth starts, but never into bare wood.
Harvest: Pick leaves any time; flavor is strongest just before the plant flowers in early summer. Leave plenty of leaves on young plants going into winter.

Growing sage in your part of the Northwest

The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.

West-side valleys

Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon

Sage dislikes wet, heavy soil in winter, so plant in raised beds or well-drained spots.

Coast

Oregon and Washington coast

Damp winters can rot sage; good drainage and full sun are key.

East of the Cascades

Columbia Basin, Yakima, Boise, Spokane, north Idaho

Sage thrives in the dry, sunny climate. It is hardy through most winters.

High desert and mountain towns

Central Oregon, high eastern Oregon valleys, McCall, Salmon

Common garden sage is hardy and drought tolerant here, as long as the soil drains well.

More sage varieties

More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.

Common sage

Culinary sage · Perennial

Gray-green, pebbly leaves and blue flowers in early summer. The hardiest culinary sage.

Both sides

Berggarten

Broad-leaved sage · Perennial

Large, round, silvery leaves on a compact plant. It rarely flowers, so it stays leafy all season.

Both sides

Purple sage

Purpurascens · Perennial

Dusky purple leaves with the same flavor as common sage. A little less cold-hardy, so give it good drainage.

West side

Golden sage

Icterina · Perennial

Green leaves edged in gold. Mild flavor and a bright accent in herb beds and pots.

West side

How much to grow

How many to plant

One or two plants for most households.

What to expect

Plenty of leaves from one plant.

Storing the harvest

Dries well. Fresh leaves keep a week in the fridge.

Key numbers

Perennial, 4–5 yearsLifespan
Very hardy, if drainedCold hardiness
Low once establishedWater
Wet winter rootsBiggest risk

Top care tip: Cut plants back by a third each spring when new growth starts, never into bare wood.

Growing notes

What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.

Sun and drainage first

Culinary sage is a Mediterranean shrub that wants full sun and soil that drains fast. It handles cold well, but it doesn't like wet roots in winter, which is the usual cause of dead sage west of the Cascades.

Plant it on a mound, slope, raised bed or large pot with gritty soil. Skip rich compost and fertilizer: lean soil keeps plants compact and flavorful.

Pruning and renewal

Each spring, once new leaves appear, cut plants back by about a third to keep them bushy. Don't cut into old, leafless wood; it often won't sprout.

Sage gets woody and sparse after four or five years. Replace old plants, or layer a low branch: pin it to the soil and it roots by fall.

Harvest and varieties

Pick leaves any time. Flavor peaks just before flowering in early summer. Leave plenty of growth going into winter, especially on young plants.

Berggarten has big, round leaves and rarely flowers, so it stays leafy. Purple, golden and tricolor sages look great but are a bit less hardy than common sage.

Good neighbors

Rosemary and thyme. The same dry, sunny spot.

Pests and problems

What most often goes wrong with sage in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.

Root rot

Signs: Plants wilt and die in soggy winter soil.

What to do: Plant on a mound or in a pot.

Powdery mildew

Signs: White coating on the leaves in late summer.

What to do: Space for airflow, and cut back to fresh growth.

Woody, sparse plants

Signs: Bare stems after a few years.

What to do: Prune lightly in spring and replace old plants every four or five years.

Common questions about growing sage

When should I plant sage in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?

Plant in the garden: Mar 15 – May 10 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 15 – Jun 10 in Spokane, Apr 1 – May 27 in Boise and May 12 – Jul 7 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.

Why did my sage die over winter?

Usually wet soil, not cold. Sage rots in soggy winter ground. Replant on a mound, in a raised bed or in a pot with gritty soil.

Should I let sage flower?

Yes if you like the bees; the blue flowers are pollinator favorites. Cut flowering stems back afterward to keep plants bushy.

Can I grow sage in a pot?

Yes. Use a pot at least 12 inches wide with drainage holes and gritty potting mix, and raise it off the ground in winter so it drains.

Also on these lists:

See what else to plant in March, April or May.

More herbs

See all 109 plants

When to plant sage

Your dates in

Sage planting dates

Sage year at a glance

How to grow sage

Growing sage in your part of the Northwest

West-side valleys

Coast

East of the Cascades

High desert and mountain towns

More sage varieties

Common sage

Berggarten

Purple sage

Golden sage

How much to grow

How many to plant

What to expect

Storing the harvest

Key numbers

Growing notes

Sun and drainage first

Pruning and renewal

Harvest and varieties

Good neighbors

Good neighbors

Pests and problems

Root rot

Powdery mildew

Woody, sparse plants

Common questions about growing sage

More herbs