The common confusion between Russian sage and lavender is understandable given their similar appearance in the garden. Both plants feature attractive, silver-green foliage and produce tall, spiky flowers in shades of purple and blue. They also share a pleasant aromatic quality, making them popular choices for gardeners seeking drought-tolerant, fragrant perennials. Despite these superficial resemblances, the definitive answer to the question is no: Russian sage is not the same plant as lavender.
Shared Traits and Key Differences in Botanical Classification
Both Russian sage and lavender belong to the same large biological family, Lamiaceae, commonly known as the mint family. This shared ancestry explains why both plants exhibit certain similar traits, such as having square stems and containing aromatic volatile oils within their leaves and flowers. However, their taxonomic paths diverge significantly at the genus level.
Lavender belongs to the genus Lavandula. Russian sage, historically known as Perovskia atriplicifolia, was reclassified in 2017 to Salvia yangii, placing it within the larger group of true sages. This means Russian sage is botanically a relative of culinary sage, whereas lavender remains in its own distinct genus.
Visual, Textural, and Aromatic Distinctions
Lavender leaves are typically narrow, entire, and covered in fine hairs, giving them a dense, silvery appearance. Russian sage leaves are generally longer, more deeply lobed or toothed, and have a softer, more textured, grayish-white feeling.
The flower structures also differ, even though both produce purple-blue spikes. Lavender flowers are borne in dense, compact spikes at the top of leafless stems, appearing bunched and conical. Russian sage flowers are small and tubular, arranged along thin, highly branched stems that give the plant a much more airy, “see-through” appearance.
The aromatic profiles provide an easy way to distinguish the two plants. Lavender is famous for its sweet, clean, and floral scent, often with a soothing, medicinal undertone. Russian sage possesses a more pungent, herbal fragrance, frequently described as a sharp mix of sage, mint, and sometimes camphor, especially when the foliage is crushed.
Practical Differences in Growing Conditions
Lavender, originating from the Mediterranean, requires exceptionally sharp drainage and alkaline, nutrient-poor soil. It struggles in heavy clay or overly moist conditions, which quickly lead to root rot.
Russian sage, native to Central Asia, is more tolerant of varying soil types, though it still prefers dry, lean conditions. It is generally hardier than many lavender varieties, thriving across USDA Zones 4 to 9, and handles slightly more moisture and colder temperatures.
The difference in growth habit dictates maintenance, particularly pruning. Russian sage is a deciduous subshrub that grows larger, reaching up to five feet tall, and requires hard pruning almost to the ground in early spring. Lavender, which tends to be smaller and more woody, is pruned to maintain shape and encourage flowering.
Culinary, Medicinal, and Ornamental Uses
Lavender is widely used for its essential oil, rich in linalool and linalyl acetate, which is prized in aromatherapy for its calming and stress-relieving properties. Its sweet, floral flavor is also commonly incorporated into culinary applications, such as baked goods, teas, and syrups.
Russian sage is primarily valued as an ornamental plant due to its hardiness, silvery foliage, and long, late-season bloom time. While its flowers are edible and have been used in traditional folk medicine, the plant is not typically used for mainstream cooking like lavender. The foliage, with its stronger, camphoraceous scent, is often utilized in sachets and potpourri rather than ingested.