My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub

Is Blue Sage deer resistant?

Salvia pachyphylla

Blue Sage
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 5–10
Light
Full sun
Height
18–32 in
Bloom
Winter and Spring and Summer and Fall
Maintenance
Moderate
Native range
3 US states

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Blue Sage

The bracts do the work here. Mauve, thick and persistent, they hold their color long after the blue-violet flowers have gone over, above thick, pungent leaves that deer generally leave be.

Cold is not the problem. It grows wild between 5,000 and 10,000 feet on dry rocky slopes and is rated hardy to zone 5. Winter moisture is the problem. The drainage has to carry water away from the roots through the months when nothing is growing, which is exactly when most beds sit damp, so it wants sandy or gravelly ground, fast drainage and very little water.

It is sold as Mojave sage at least as often as blue sage, so buy it by the Latin. Prune in spring to take out damaged or ugly stems, and cut just above the woody growth — go back into the wood and that stem is finished.

Similar to Blue Sage

Other shrubs with the same deer rating.

Where Blue Sage grows

Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone, and native to 3 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Blue Sage

Is Blue Sage deer resistant?
Blue Sage (Salvia pachyphylla) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Blue Sage grow in?
Blue Sage is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 10. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Blue Sage grow in shade?
No. Blue Sage wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Blue Sage get?
Mature height is roughly 18–32 in. Growth rate is moderate.

Browse from here

Every list Blue Sage belongs to.

All shrubs·Seldom damaged·Full sun plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .