Plants · Flowers
Salvia planting zones
Salvia (Perennial Salvia species and hybrids) is a perennial. By the type table below, at least one type lives through winter in the ground in 4a–11b; outside those zones, none of the types on this page is rated. Below the types are the dates its year turns on: each zone’s median last spring freeze and first fall freeze, from NOAA records.
Published October 26, 2026 · Cite this page
The types
Which salvia to grow
| Type | Hardy in the ground | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Woodland sage Salvia nemorosa and Salvia × sylvestris (e.g. ‘May Night’, ‘Caradonna’, ‘East Friesland’) | 4a to 8b, then too hot or humid | NC State rates it 4a to 8b; Illinois says 3–8, Arkansas 4–9. Clemson calls it the salvia for colder mountain and upper Piedmont areas. |
| Autumn sage Salvia greggii (e.g. ‘Furman’s Red’, ‘Wild Thing’, ‘Cherry Chief’) | 6a to 9b, then too hot or humid | Native to Texas and Mexico. NC State rates it 6a to 9b; Clemson says some cultivars are not hardy in the upper Piedmont and mountains. |
| Brazilian blue sage Salvia guaranitica (e.g. ‘Black and Blue’, ‘Argentina Skies’) | 7b to 10b, then too hot or humid | Grows to 5 feet; Clemson says it is hardy throughout South Carolina except the mountains. |
| Mexican bush sage Salvia leucantha (e.g. ‘Santa Barbara’, ‘Midnight’) | 7a to 11b, then too hot or humid | Clemson rates it zones 7 to 11 and says it is usually grown as an annual; it flowers from late summer until frost. |
| Mealycup sage Salvia farinacea (e.g. ‘Victoria’, ‘Evolution Violet’) | 8a to 10b, then too hot or humid | Clemson rates it cold hardy in zones 8 to 10, and says it performs best in soil that is not overly fertile or moist. |
Zone ranges are a judgement: horticultural convention set beside what the sources below say, not a measurement. In the next table the freeze dates are measured, and the count of hardy types comes from these judged ranges.
Zone by zone
Where salvia lives through winter, and when the freezes fall
Each date is the median across every NOAA station the zone’s ZIP codes cite, 1991–2020 normals. The middle half of those stations falls within the range shown beside it.
| Zone | Types hardy in the ground | Last spring freeze | First fall freeze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3a | 0 of 5 | only 10 stations with comparable freeze dates — too few to publish a date | |
| 3b | 0 of 5 | May 18 · middle half May 15 – May 25 | September 23 · middle half September 17 – September 26 |
| 4a | 1 of 5 | May 15 · middle half May 10 – May 21 | September 27 · middle half September 22 – September 30 |
| 4b | 1 of 5 | May 11 · middle half May 5 – May 23 | September 30 · middle half September 23 – October 3 |
| 5a | 1 of 5 | May 9 · middle half May 1 – May 20 | October 2 · middle half September 26 – October 7 |
| 5b | 1 of 5 | May 4 · middle half April 27 – May 15 | October 8 · middle half October 1 – October 14 |
| 6a | 2 of 5 | May 1 · middle half April 24 – May 9 | October 14 · middle half October 5 – October 20 |
| 6b | 2 of 5 | April 25 · middle half April 17 – May 3 | October 20 · middle half October 11 – October 24 |
| 7a | 3 of 5 | April 19 · middle half April 11 – April 27 | October 23 · middle half October 17 – October 28 |
| 7b | 4 of 5 | April 8 · middle half April 3 – April 16 | October 30 · middle half October 25 – November 3 |
| 8a | 5 of 5 | March 30 · middle half March 25 – April 5 | November 5 · middle half November 1 – November 10 |
| 8b | 5 of 5 | March 20 · middle half March 13 – March 29 | November 12 · middle half November 7 – November 18 |
| 9a | 4 of 5 | March 5 · middle half February 24 – March 15 | November 24 · middle half November 18 – December 2 |
| 9b | 4 of 5 | February 12 · middle half January 30 – February 25 | December 8 · middle half December 1 – December 17 |
| 10a | 3 of 5 | 107 of 190 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from | |
| 10b | 3 of 5 | 70 of 79 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from | |
| 11a | 1 of 5 | 34 of 34 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from | |
| 11b | 1 of 5 | 12 of 12 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from | |
“Types hardy in the ground” is a judgement, from the type table above. The freeze dates are measured.
A zone does not tell you your own dates. Inside a single zone the median last spring freeze still varies by 34 days from station to station, so the box below gives the dates of the NOAA station nearest your ZIP code.
Your ZIP code
Your ZIP, your answer
Enter your ZIP code to see your USDA zone, how many of the 5 types on this page live through that zone’s winter and when its freezes fall, read from the table on this page, and the freeze dates of the NOAA station nearest you.
Your answer appears here.
Full details for any ZIP code: ZIP code zone finder.
Which salvia for your zone
Salvias divide by climate more sharply than most perennials. Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center says many of the tender perennial species overwinter near the South Carolina coast and are grown as annuals in the upper part of the state, where they are not fully hardy.
For the North it is woodland sage (Salvia nemorosa and its hybrid Salvia × sylvestris). NC State Extension’s plant toolbox rates it zones 4a to 8b, University of Illinois Extension 3 to 8, and the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service 4 to 9. Clemson calls it excellent for colder mountain and upper Piedmont areas when a hardy salvia is needed, and says it is commonly sold as Salvia nemorosa but correctly classified as Salvia sylvestris; NC State says it is not always possible to tell which modern cultivars come from which.
Further south the choice widens. NC State rates autumn sage (Salvia greggii), native to Texas and Mexico, zones 6a to 9b and says ‘Wild Thing’ reportedly has better winter hardiness; Clemson says some autumn sage cultivars will not be hardy in the upper Piedmont and mountains. Clemson rates Mexican bush sage hardy in zones 7 to 11, mealycup sage cold hardy in 8 to 10, and says Brazilian blue sage is hardy throughout South Carolina except the mountains.
Planting
Clemson says the best time to plant salvias is in spring after the danger of frost has passed, and that most prefer full sun, well-drained soil and slightly acidic soil. Once established most are quite drought-tolerant; excessive water and fertilizer can increase fungal disease. Many perennial salvias, Clemson says, grow well without extra fertilizer if sited in well-prepared soil with compost.
Arkansas says good wintertime drainage is essential to keep woodland sage going as a perennial, and to place it in a sunny spot or where it gets late afternoon shade. NC State says woodland sage prefers sandy or gravelly soil but tolerates most well-drained soils, even dry ones, and that autumn sage needs well-drained soil, tolerates rocky soil and takes afternoon shade where summers are very hot.
Cutting back for more flowers
Arkansas says ‘Rose Marvel’ woodland sage keeps blooming through much of the growing season if it is sheared back after each flush of flowers. NC State says that once a woodland sage stem has bloomed and turned brown, cut it down to the basal leaves and new flowers will appear; Clemson cuts back old bloom stalks promptly so the plants rebloom through fall. Clemson removes faded spikes from other salvias in summer to keep them flowering.
Supplies
Supplies the sources mention
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- Hand shearsArkansas says ‘Rose Marvel’ woodland sage keeps blooming through much of the season if it is sheared back after each flush of flowers.
Dividing salvias
Clemson divides perennial salvias in early spring when new growth begins. Arkansas divides woodland sage as needed every three or four years to keep the clump vigorous. NC State propagates woodland sage by seed or stem cuttings and autumn sage by semi-ripe stem cuttings, which it says root easily.
Fall and winter: leave the stems
Clemson says that when perennial salvias go dormant, leave the stems intact, and to avoid freeze damage wait for new growth to begin in early spring before pruning. That is the one fall rule for salvias in the sources we read, and it runs against tidying them in autumn.
Common problems
Clemson says salvias have few problems in ideal conditions, with disease most likely under cool, wet weather. It lists damping-off of seedlings, stem and root rots, powdery mildew, Botrytis blight, aphids, spider mites and whiteflies. NC State reports no serious problems for woodland or autumn sage, and says some woodland sage cultivars have shown good resistance to phytophthora and aerial blight.
Deer and rabbits mostly leave salvias alone. Clemson says salvias are deer and rabbit resistant because of their pungent foliage; NC State says woodland sage is seldom damaged by deer or rabbits and autumn sage seldom by deer; Illinois says perennial salvia is reported to be deer and rabbit resistant. Arkansas adds that a resistant plant is no guarantee deer will leave the flowers alone.
Common mistakes
- Cutting perennial salvias down in fall. Clemson says to leave the stems and wait for new spring growth before pruning.
- Planting woodland sage where water sits in winter. Arkansas says good wintertime drainage is essential.
- Overwatering and overfeeding. Clemson says both increase fungal disease.
- Buying a southern salvia for a northern bed. Clemson says many tender species are grown as annuals where they are not fully hardy.
We found no Texas source for salvias that we could read, though autumn sage is a Texas native; Texas A&M AgriLife did not load from here, and neither did LSU AgCenter or Alabama Extension. Southern advice on this page comes from South Carolina, North Carolina and Arkansas.
Questions
- Should you cut back salvia in the fall?
- No. Clemson says to leave the stems intact when perennial salvias go dormant, and to wait for new growth to begin in early spring before pruning, to avoid freeze damage.
- How do you get salvia to bloom again?
- Shear or cut it back after each flush. Arkansas shears woodland sage after each flush of flowers; NC State cuts finished stems down to the basal leaves; Clemson cuts old bloom stalks back promptly.
- Which salvia is hardy in cold climates?
- Woodland sage. NC State rates Salvia nemorosa zones 4a to 8b and Illinois 3 to 8; Clemson calls it the hardy salvia for the mountains and upper Piedmont.
- When do you divide perennial salvia?
- Clemson divides perennial salvias in early spring when new growth begins, and Arkansas divides woodland sage every three or four years as needed.
Sources
Freeze dates on this page are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, for every station the ZIP codes in each zone cite. Zones are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. The type table is a judgement, as labelled above. Growing advice is quoted from the extension publications below, each written for its own area.
- Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, Salvia (HGIC 1174) (Revised January 4, 2021). Written for: South Carolina (USDA zones 8a–9b).
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Salvia nemorosa (woodland sage) . Written for: North Carolina (USDA zones 6b–9a).
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Salvia greggii (autumn sage) . Written for: North Carolina (USDA zones 6b–9a).
- University of Illinois Extension, Perennial Salvia . Written for: Illinois (USDA zones 5a–7a).
- University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Plant of the Week: Salvia nemorosa ‘Rose Marvel’ (May 11, 2018). Written for: Arkansas (USDA zones 7a–8b).
Published October 26, 2026
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