Honeybees love perovskia

Just thought I'd post this pic, in case any of you may be thinking of planting things to attract honeybees. I've grown this perovskia (Russian sage) for years. Over the years, it's wandered over to the wrong side of the fence, and partially blocks the walk up to the front door, but I let it do what it wants, because the honeybees love it. There isn't a time that I look at it, that it doesn't have bees everywhere, bumblebees too, although there are none in this picture. And it smells heavenly when you rub your hands against the leaves.

hammock gal wrote:Just thought I'd post this pic, in case any of you may be thinking of planting things to attract honeybees. I've grown this perovskia (Russian sage) for years. Over the years, it's wandered over to the wrong side of the fence, and partially blocks the walk up to the front door, but I let it do what it wants, because the honeybees love it. There isn't a time that I look at it, that it doesn't have bees everywhere, bumblebees too, although there are none in this picture. And it smells heavenly when you rub your hands against the leaves.

I'm on it! Thanks for posting this.

Beautiful!  It may be a favorite of bees, but a little research tells me this isn't an edible sage...bummer!  I'd plant it anyway, but keep it out of my kitchen garden.

Ginger Blue wrote:Beautiful!  It may be a favorite of bees, but a little research tells me this isn't an edible sage...bummer!  I'd plant it anyway, but keep it out of my kitchen garden.

Really? When I looked it up, it said "great flavor" as well as pretty and fragrant.

Hmmmm...conflicting information...

A little further digging suggests that the flowers may be used sparingly for culinary purposes, but that the leaves are poisonous.

I think I'll stick to the more popular varieties for noshing, but plant this as an ornamental to draw pollinators.

It sure is pretty!

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Sorry for the confusion. This one is not edible. I have it planted in the flower garden. Yes, it is pretty, and so easy to grow. This particular plant is probably over 10 years old. I have it in a small flower bed near the front door, and it has come under the fence, and into the front walkway, and when you brush by it, it releases such a beautiful, sagey aroma. And if you rub your hands on its leaves, and smell them...it's amazing. And as mentioned, honeybees and bumblebees just love it. And the color is so beautiful. People always think it's lavender. There are different varieties, this one gets about 3-4 ft tall, but I planted some in the back yard near the SFG, that are a smaller variety. Being perennials, it takes them a few years to really get going, but they are free from any diseases that I know of, and couldn't be simpler to grow. Some times there are so many bees on it, the whole plant just hummmmms as you walk by.

hammock gal wrote:Sorry for the confusion. This one is not edible. I have it planted in the flower garden. Yes, it is pretty, and so easy to grow. This particular plant is probably over 10 years old. I have it in a small flower bed near the front door, and it has come under the fence, and into the front walkway, and when you brush by it, it releases such a beautiful, sagey aroma. And if you rub your hands on its leaves, and smell them...it's amazing. And as mentioned, honeybees and bumblebees just love it. And the color is so beautiful. People always think it's lavender. There are different varieties, this one gets about 3-4 ft tall, but I planted some in the back yard near the SFG, that are a smaller variety. Being perennials, it takes them a few years to really get going, but they are free from any diseases that I know of, and couldn't be simpler to grow. Some times there are so many bees on it, the whole plant just hummmmms as you walk by.

Thanks for the info, HG. I marked my spreadsheet and will get this for the bee garden. Everything else there is annual, so a nice perennial will be welcome.

+1 This one is about 19 years old and has been divided.  The hummingbirds also like it. Another ornamental is pineapple sage. Both are perennial in my area.

One of my favorite things about Perovskia is the way the white stems show off in early winter.

sanderson wrote:+1 This one is about 19 years old and has been divided.  The hummingbirds also like it.  Another ornamental is pineapple sage.  Both are perennial in my area.

Nineteen!? Wow, just goes to show that this is a plant that seems to have few if any disease/pest problems, and is easy to grow. What a beautiful deep purple yours is. I used to struggle to grow plants that I wanted to have in my garden, but sometimes they were fussy, or just downright refused to grow. As I've gotten older, I've veered off toward those that are lovely, and cooperative. Perovskia is definitely one of those. I've had some perennials that seem to just disappear after so many years. Not perovskia. Your nineteen year old lets me know that I don't have to worry about mine any time soon. Where you have it, just in front of a window must give you a good view of the hummingbirds.

Abiqua Ike wrote:One of my favorite things about Perovskia is the way the white stems show off in early winter.

Yes, and even those sticks are fragrant! It's such a nice plant.

Mine. Never fertilized, stuck in miserable partial hard pan.