How to Plant Salvia (Sage) Flower Bulbs
Fast Facts
- Planting season
- Spring
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Light
- Full Sun, Partial Shade
- Water needs
- Low
- Planting depth
- 2 to 5 inches, Deep Enough to Accommodate Root Length
- Spacing
- 1 to 3 feet, 2 to 6 inches
- Mature height
- 18 to 24 inches, Varies
- Hardiness zones
- 3 to 9
- Bloom season
- Late Spring through Late Summer, Spring through Late Spring
Ranges cover every variety in this group. Check the product page for the exact figures.
About Salvia (Sage) Flower Bulbs
Salvia (Sage) Flower Bulbs grow in full sun, partial shade positions. Expect 18 to 24 inches or varies at maturity. Flowering runs late spring through late summer or spring through late spring. The figures below are the ones on the packets in this group; each product page carries the exact numbers for that variety.
When to plant
Plant in spring. Bulbs go in while the soil is still workable, and want to be in the ground long enough to settle before it freezes. Hardy in zones 3 to 9 — your local frost dates decide the exact week.
Where to plant
Choose a site in full sun, partial shade. Water needs are low once the plants are established. Drainage matters more than anything else: bulbs sitting in wet winter soil rot. Allow 1 to 3 feet or 2 to 6 inches between plants so air can move between them. Plan for 18 to 24 inches or varies of growth when you place them in a bed or border.
How to plant
Set the bulb 2 to 5 inches or deep enough to accommodate root length deep, pointed end up, spaced 1 to 3 feet or 2 to 6 inches apart. Water gently to settle the soil, then keep the surface evenly moist until seedlings or shoots appear.
How to care
Keep watering low, at the base of the plant rather than over the leaves. In zones 3 to 9 these come back each year: let the foliage die down naturally after flowering, since that is what feeds next season's growth. Flowers appear late spring through late summer or spring through late spring; cutting or deadheading regularly keeps more coming.

