Perovskia atriplicifolia 'PRIME TIME' perovskia, Russian sage
Perovskia
The genus Perovskia originates from the arid regions of Central Asia, naturally thriving on open steppes and rocky slopes: for example, in Tibet it inhabits high plateaus at elevations reaching up to 2400 meters above sea level. It's commonly referred to as Russian sage and sometimes even Russian lavender. Botanically, it's classified as a subshrub — a growth form somewhere between a perennial and a shrub — and thanks to its exceptional tolerance of drought, severe frost, intense sunlight, heat, and poor soils, it's widely used in modern prairie-style plantings. Strictly speaking, however, it’s a steppe plant, the distinction being purely geographic: its native range is in Asia, not the American prairie, though it shares similar ecological traits.
The name Perovskia honours Vasily Alekseyevich Perovsky (1795–1857), a prominent Russian general and governor of the Orenburg region. Although he wasn’t a botanist, his military and diplomatic campaigns in Turkestan enabled numerous scientific expeditions, which gained access to the region’s previously unexplored flora. In recognition of this, the genus was named after him by German botanist Carl Anton von Meyer in 1841, who described the plant while conducting botanical research in the area.
In horticulture, Perovskia atriplicifolia, also described by Meyer in the same year, has become the most prevalent species. It is bred through both selections and hybridization with related species, most often P. abrotanoides, P. angustifolia, or P. scrophulariifolia, which contribute traits like finer foliage, a more compact habit, or slightly different inflorescence architecture. The widespread popularity of perovskia was significantly boosted by American grower David Salman, who selected it for the dry climate conditions of the southwestern United States.
For taxonomic enthusiasts and detail lovers, there’s another intriguing twist: based on molecular analyses, the plant was officially reclassified in 2017 from the genus Perovskia into Salvia, now bearing the name Salvia yangii. This name honours Chinese botanist Chang Y. Yang, a specialist in sage phylogeny. Despite the official renaming, most gardeners and nurseries still refer to it as Perovskia atriplicifolia — not only for practical reasons, but also for the charisma embedded in its original name. Its longevity, low maintenance requirements, and ornamental beauty have secured its place in many garden designs, gracing both private landscapes and public plantings with equal elegance.
Prime Time is a standout among Russian sages, bred by perennial specialist Hans Hansen of Walters Gardens in the United States. Compared to other cultivars, it impresses with early flowering, a compact habit, and exceptionally dense inflorescences. The flowers resemble tiny slippers in rich violet-blue tones, opening from strikingly violet, softly fuzzy buds. Thanks to these buds, the plant offers vibrant colour as early as June, even though the actual blooms appear from July and continue through October. The inflorescences are well-branched and tightly packed, with the tiers of lateral flowering branches spaced closely beneath one another — creating the effect of a vertical violet veil. Each year, the plant grows stronger and blooms more profusely, forming a radiant violet cloud in midsummer.
The leaves are deciduous, finely lobed along the margins, oval to elliptical in shape, with a lightly hairy surface that gives them a silvery to grey-green hue in youth. As the season progresses, the colour shifts to a pale green. The stems are sturdy, distinctly silvery, and carry an aromatic essential oil reminiscent of culinary sage. The plant reaches about 1 meter in height and similar width.
The cultivar is protected by US plant patent PP34304, granted in 2022. Although it is officially registered as a selection of Perovskia atriplicifolia, it stands apart from older cultivars of the same species — such as Blue Spire, Little Spire, and Lacey Blue. For instance, Blue Spire has a taller, more open habit (120–150 cm), Little Spire is also compact but blooms later and less densely, and Lacey Blue features deeply dissected foliage and while keeping compact, makes a more open structure. In contrast, Prime Time combines early flowering with dense, upright spikes and vivid calyces — making it a true visual anchor in summer borders.
In 2023, Prime Time was awarded the bronze medal by KVBC at the Plantarium trade fair — one of Europe’s most prestigious honours for new cultivars. And this isn’t just a ribbon on paper: the jury evaluates not only appearance, but also garden performance, resilience, and design value. To stand out among hundreds of new introductions means Prime Time truly delivers — and has caught the eye of top horticultural experts.
Perovskia is easy to grow. It tolerates almost any soil — preferably lean and well-drained — as overly moist conditions in winter can cause root rot. Once well established, it copes superbly with drought. For strong growth and abundant flowering, prune it back in early spring by one third to one quarter of the previous year’s branches. If the plant is weak, it can be cut down to around 5 cm, which promotes new shoots and thus more blooms. It is fully hardy to approximately –30 °C (USDA zone 5), with some sources claiming tolerance down to –34 °C. It’s well suited to year-round cultivation in outdoor planters, just ensure excellent drainage as excessive moisture can cause yellowing (chlorosis) and leaf drop.
Last update 16-07-2025
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- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
