Turkish Sage Plant Care

Turkish Sage (Phlomis russeliana) belongs to the Lamiaceae family within the Phlomis genus. Turkish Sage is native to Turkey and Syria in south west Asia. Turkish Sage is also known as Jerusalem Sage.

Turkish Sage displays an upright, bushy shrub growth habit, reaching up to 3 ft tall with a spread of approximately 2 ft. Turkish Sage produces whorls of hooded yellow or purple flowers.

Leaf size: approximately 6 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Turkish Sage every 7–14 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established shrubs mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Turkish Sage thrives in full sun to part shade.

Phlomis russeliana tolerates temperatures of 50–80°F. Turkish Sage prefers humidity levels of 40–70%.

Well-draining sandy loam with added organic matter. Good drainage is essential for Turkish Sage to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Turkish Sage every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established shrubs in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to part shade and well-draining sandy loam with added organic matter. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Turkish Sage is suited to USDA Zone 4a – 8b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped shrubs in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Turkish Sage can spread to about 2 ft (0.6 m) and reach about 3 ft (1 m) tall. Space plants about 2 ft (0.6 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the plant spacing calculator.

Prune Turkish Sage while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the shrub in one year.

Turkish Sage is hardy down to USDA zone 4a, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown shrubs need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

Turkish Sage can be propagated through seeds, division of root ball, softwood cuttings. Similar propagation techniques also apply to jerusalem sage plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Turkish Sage is susceptible to aphids, spider mites, whiteflies. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Turkish Sage grows outdoors in USDA Zone 4a – 8b. It survives winters down to planting zone 4a. Turkish Sage is native to Turkey and Syria in south west Asia.