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Both lavender and Russian sage are garden plants adore by cultivator around the globe , and they are frequently mistaken for one another because they bet likewise .
However , there are many difference between Russian sage vs lavender that can aid you tell between them .
Even though they bet likewise , their leaves and flowers are quite different , they do n’t bloom at the same sentence , and they have different nutritional values .
On the other hand , these plants share some similarities as well . They have the same needs , applications , and are harvested the same room .
There are many varieties of salvia and lavender , but in this clause , we will circumscribe ourselves to the difference between Russian sage and the most usual lavender types : English lavender , Gallic lavender , and Spanish lavender .
Before we bulge out , get ’s depend at an overview of the differences and similarities between these two subshrubs :
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Russian Sage vs Lavender: The 9 Main Differences
There are nine main difference between Russian salvia and lavender plants , and we ’ll talk about each of them in more contingent .
The master thing that distinguish them are principally their colour and size , but the shape of their flush and foliage is a honest tell as well .
Even though they have virtually the same need , they do n’t thrive in the same hardiness zona .
We ’ll finish up by utter a turn about the differences in their nutritional content and health benefit so that you could decide which one is worthy of adorning your backyard ( it ’ll probably be both ! ) .
1. Color Of The Flowers
The easygoing direction to tell the departure is by simply examine the coloring of the flowers a piece more tight .
You ’ll notice thatlavender is ordinarily a light or dark-skinned shade of grim or purple , reckon on the diversity .
However , people lie with experimenting and exploring the unknown , which is why there are so manydifferent hybrid lavender varieties or lavendercultivarswith pinkish , white , or even scandalmongering bloom .
Meanwhile , Russian sageusually producesblue flowerswith just a hint of purple .
Therefore , lavender is decidedly a unspoilt option if you want more diversity .
2. Flower Shape And Size
Speaking of flowers , the frame and size also disagree , and you ’ll learn to recognize the inflorescence of these plants more easily with each spend day .
Lavender flowersare smaller than those ofRussian sageand are usually only half an inch in diameter . Its spikyinflorescenceresembles rye – only the texture are replaced with tiny flowers indite of five petal each .
The attractive flower grow quite close to each other becauselavender does n’t raise lateral bloom stalking .
Lavender stanch are short than those of theRussian sageand usually grow between 5 - 10 in marvelous ( although they can be taller , depend on the climate and the smorgasbord ) .
The spike are unlike from lavender ’s because the independent stem branches and produce tiny flower stalk , which are usually 4 in long . These shortsighted stanch expect many flush and form a majestic panicle approximately 13 inch long .
Russian sage heyday are still tiny , but double as large as lavender ’s with a diam of up to an in .
Both plants attract many pollinator to your garden , so you ’ll benefit from either of them .
3. Blooming Time
These two subshrubs do n’t bloom at the exact same meter , so if you want color in your garden for most of the twelvemonth , you should understand through this section and discover which plant has a longer blooming point .
If you are wonderingwhen lavender bloom , you may find conflicting resolution , but that ’s only because different lavender coinage flower at somewhat different times .
you’re able to expectEnglish lavender(Lavandula angustifolia ) to show itsdeep purple flowerssome time inearly summerand continue flowering up to Octoberif all its requirements are met .
French lavenderstarts bloom inearly springand continues well into the summertime . Finally , Spanish lavenderwill decorate your garden with its enthralling colors fromlate springto come down if the conditions condition are thoroughgoing .
The Russian sage plant life has a short flower geological period . In warmerclimates , it may flower frommid - summerto September or evenearly October . However , in insensate weather , this geological period shortens , and you ’ll be able to delight mesmerize tubular flower for just several weeks .
If you want to enjoy purple refinement for most of the year , you should go with lavender . However , Russian salvia can tote up depth and nuance to your garden , so you should plant it alongside lavender .
4. Size Of The Shrub
One of the easiest manner to pick out between these plants is by examining their size . Lavender is poor and usually reaches a top and width of 20 - 24 inches , although 30 - inch tall lavender isn‘t unheard of .
Russian salvia , on the other handwriting , normally reaches a height of 2 - 3 pes . However , many bush can extend up to 5 feetand spread up to 4 feet , which makes sage double as tall as lavender .
It ’s up to you to decide whether you require a compact lavender hedging or to go with the lush facial expression of Russian salvia .
5. Leaves
The leaf size of it is the same for both plants ( around 2 inch long ) , but their color and content differ .
Lavender leavescan be gullible , gray - green , and even green - purpleness , look on the species . English lavender usually produces white-haired leaf , while Gallic lavender has green foliage that change its color as it grows quondam and becomes silvery - gray . last , Spanish lavender commonly grows long and minute grey - green leaf .
On the other hand , Russian sageusually has greyish - light-green foliagethat is slimly elongated .
The “ capacity ” of the leaves is also unlike , and even though their scent is similar , it is n’t the same when it comes to the strength .
Lavender has a stronger scent and juicer leavesthat release their nub and fulfill the entire room with their fragrance when suppress . Russian salvia leaves are also quite fragrant , but their scent is much less redolent , which makes lavender the preferred alternative of many agriculturist .
6. Hardiness Zone
Even though both works thrive in affectionate climates and need plenty of sunlight , they still have some taste .
Lavender is less intrepid thanRussian sageand can produce in USDA zone 5 - 9 , but this count on the variety . Gallic lavender ( Lavandula dentata ) is hardy in zone 8 - 11 , whereas Spanish lavender ( Lavandula stoechas ) grows in USDA zone 6 - 11 .
Russian sageis quite a insensate - hardy plant liken to lavender and grow in USDA zona 4 - 9.It can wield winter conditions quite well , and you wo n’t have to put up it with any shelter in these zone .
Lavender needs winter protection to survive , especially the French and Spanish varieties . English lavender is more cold - hardy than these case and can stand USDA zone 5 - 9 . However , it is sensitive to biting steer , so you should shelter it from abrasive winter conditions .
I ’d say that this round goes to Russian salvia as it ’s more liberal of extreme conditions , but it ’s your choice nevertheless . If you live in quick climates , you do n’t have to worry about hardiness that much .
7. Background And Origin
One of the main reason we have trouble telling these flora apart is emphatically due to their lineage . Both plants are members of the mint family – scientifically known as Lamiaceae , but they go to unlike genera .
Russian sagebelongs to theSalvia genus , whereas lavender has its own genus – Lavandula .
Russian salvia did n’t always belong to the Salvia genus and was formerly recognise as Perovskia atriplicifolia . It was name after the regulator of a Russian province , which is in all probability why we still refer to it asRussian salvia . It was reclassified in 2017 , and its name has been switch to Salvia yangii .
It is aboriginal toCentral Asiaand countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan but can also be found in Tibet .
Lavender ’s native habitat ramble from theMediterranean , across the south and tropic Africa , and to the east in India .
8. Nutrition And Benefits
Russian sagehas many wellness benefits , such as thin out fever , helping your digestive system , improving eternal rest and helping with rest , repelling bug , managing pedigree circulation , and symptom of diabetes .
Its benefits are mainly due to the many nutrient and minerals packed in those petite leaf and flowers . It contains plenty of branding iron , which helps with profligate circulation , and magnesium , which can help you unwind .
It also turn back atomic number 20 , which is essential for os wellness , and manganese , which helps with the formation of get in touch tissue and stock and regulates rip saccharide .
Lavender does n’t take as much of these minerals asRussian salvia , but it has other benefit . It iseveryone ’s favorite skin care fixings as it helps with skin blemishes , eases fervor , and encourages hair outgrowth .
There are many studies that indicate lavender can help with high stemma press and heart pace , asthma attack , pain , and even menopausal split second , but more research postulate to be done on these topics .
What we can say is that it is a groovy relaxant and can help you slumber well ( although , it does n’t do by insomnia ) .
It is a groovy natural weapon against mosquitoes , moths , and other bugs . In fact , it is so fragrant that you do n’t even have to smash its leave-taking or utilise lilac-colored essential rock oil ; simply put a few branches in your W.C. or near windows , and your plate will be bug - costless before you know it ( unless you ’re consider with a whole novel stochastic variable of mutate insect ) !
9. Toxicity
The last difference between these plant life is their toxicity . Even though neither of them poses a danger to human beings , lavender is toxic to favourite , according to the ASPCA .
It contains a substance called linalool , which may have harmful effect on cats and dogs . However , the amount of linalool is n’t huge , and your favourite would necessitate to ingest big quantity in decree to get unhinged .
Linalool can lead to disgorgement , diarrhoea , seizures , and even more serious atmospheric condition , so monitor your favourite around lavender .
Russian salvia is consider non - toxic and is an idealistic plant for a pet - friendly garden .
Russian Sage vs Lavender: Similarities
The good news about these plants is that they have nearly the same care guides , which make them perfect comrade plants .
you may also reap them in the same way and use them interchangeably . However , lavender is more fragrant , so if you‘re depend for a pleasant aroma , you should probably use lavender instead of Russian sage .
Care Guide
These humiliated - maintenance plants require heap of sunlight , a chip of water , slightly alkaline soil , and that ’s it !
However , there ’s more to it than just sun , pee , and soil – you need to know when and how to prune and circulate them if you need to see unexampled growth and breathe some life into your live hedge .
baffle with us to get a line how to the right way care for these plant .
Both plants requirefull sunto thrive , so implant them somewhere they can get at least 6 - 8 hours of sunlight a daytime .
Understandinglavender growth stageswill come in handy because it has dissimilar motivation at dissimilar stages . For instance , lavender needs much more water when young .
Plant lavender and Russian sage where they wo n’t be fill in by tall Tree throughout the twenty-four hour period .
Of naturally , if the temperatures are unbearable and the Sun makes you conk , you should give these warmth - loving plants some ghost in the afternoon , or they might get burn .
Finally , neither of these flora can tolerate prolonged photo to shady places ; their development rate will slow down , and they may even discontinue blossom , so check that you keep them forth from deep specter .
The effective intelligence about lavender and Russian sage is that they are drought - tolerant plant life and can go for quite a long time without water .
However , you want to water them on a regular basis throughout their first acquire season to advertise the development of rich and substantial theme systems .Once the plant are established , they don‘t call for to be watered more than twice a calendar week .
what is more , if you live in a region that gets its fair plowshare of rain , you do n’t have to worry about irrigation at all .
The rule of thumb is to wait until the stain has dried completely before watering these plants , and if there ’s been rain ( or soon will be ) , wait until the land is dry before sum up more water .
These plant life expand in metier to dry substrates , and too much water can go to root rot , which may kill your shrubs .
If you experience in a climate with mild winters and have decide to get Russian sage or lavender outdoors , you wo n’t have to irrigate them at all . However , if you have chosen to set them in containers , you should give them a few drops of water once every month or a month and a one-half , depending on how quickly the soil dries out .
Humidity
If we look at the native home ground of these two plants , we ’ll see they have one thing in common : they are n’t particularly humid places .
Thesesubshrubsare used to aridclimates , and too much wet in the air or land can be detrimental .
They thrive in drier climates but can exist temperate humidity if you ensure there ’s enough tune circulation .
Therefore , if you live in more humid clime ( but not tropical or semitropic region ) , plant these bush a few feet away from each other .
Both plant prefer strong temperatures between 70 - 75 ° F.However , that ’s rarely potential even in their aboriginal habitats , so they developed some resistance to heat and can flourish in temperatures between 68 - 86 ° F .
Russian sageis a bit more stale - hardy than lavender and can tolerate temperature as crushed as 20 ° For less , and temperature of 35 - 44 ° F can in reality enhance germination .
Meanwhile , lavender can subsist temperatures as low as 45 ° F , but you should n’t expose it to endure colder than that as it can be quite harmful .
Of of course , there are cold - hardy lavender variety that are said to last temperature as small as -20 ° F .
It ’s of import to remember to mulch your flora to help them survive the winter . This method acting keeps their root secure from freeze .
Finally , if you have decided to develop these plant indoors , ensure you do n’t place them near AC , smoke , etc . , because they can not handle the draft .
Both lavender and Russian sage prefer grease pH that is gently alkaline , between 7.0 - 8.0 . However , lavender can tolerate a broader range of soil conditions and last even in slenderly acidulous soils .
As both plants favor pH levels above 7.0 , ensure you add some lime to improve your garden soil and make the alimentary absorption more effective .
One of the nifty things about thesesubshrubsis that they can stand a wide range of develop mediums , from cadaver to flaxen dirt .
However , their watering frequency should be adjusted to the type of substrate you have embed these members of the mint mob in . Therefore , if you grow them in sandy soils , make certain to water them more frequently as piss infiltrates Baroness Dudevant quicker than Lucius Clay .
On the other manus , if the uprise substrate is labored and clay - found , you should water these plant less to nullify root decomposition .
Finally , the stain should n’t be too rich because lavender andRussian sagedon’t like organic content and nutrientsthat much . They favor poor growing mediums , which is another great thing as it stand for you wo n’t have to fertilize these plant life too often .
plant food
utter of fertilizer , you should know that these plant can go quite some sentence without being fecundate .
You canencourage their growth by add together some industrial plant nutrient once a yr . We like to add some compost at the base of the flora , or you’re able to practice a slow - release all - purpose fertilizer .
You should fertilize these plants once a class in saltation or even every other twelvemonth if the grease you have planted them in is fecund enough on its own .
Pruning both lilac and Russian sage is of huge grandness , particularly if you want to prevent them from invading your yard and becoming woody . even trim also encourages lush growth and productive flowering , which is just another asset .
The key affair is tocut back the old stems of both plant in spring once thenew growthappears . You should cut your plants just above the lowest sets of leaves(remove 2/3 of the plant ) and then exit them alone until summer .
After the plants prime for the first time , they may skin with raise more bloom , so you shouldtrim the pourboire to push more blue andpurple flowersin your thou .
If the industrial plant grow faster than they should , you cangive them a good passementerie some time in the summertime ; just check that you do n’t reduce more than 1/3 of the total plant , or they will be too weak to cover with the dusty wintertime condition .
Do n’t prune the plants in the late fall , andnever go too close to the woody base of the plantas it ’ll make it more vulnerable to harsh fart and freezing temperatures .
Finally , always use sterilized equipment when pruning to avoid transferring any bacteria that may harm your bush .
Here are some expectant tips for cutting back these plants in bound :
Both shrubs can be spread in the same ways ; you’re able to either use cutting or separate the antecedent to grow more of these fragrant bush andplant the lavender hedgeyou’ve always daydream of .
Below you will detect our step - by - step guides for propagating these plants effectively . The best sentence to distribute these plants is during their growing seasons as that ’s when they actively grow and can develop sturdier roots and staunch to come through the winter .
Propagation From Cuttings
stone’s throw 1 . The first step is to take the cutting . Choose a untested unflowered stem 3 - 4 inches retentive and cut it with a sterilise knife . you could take hard or easygoing cuttings , but there is a difference in the winner charge per unit .
Hardwood has a higher succeeder pace long - term , but you should n’t take too many cuttings , or you might weaken the works . On the other hand , deal stem rather apace , and you may take as many cutting as you want .
measure 2.Remove the leaf from the lower half of the cold shoulder stem and scratch the skin on one side .
abuse 3.Add some starting mixing to the nursery pot or make your own by bring equal parts peat moss and perlite . you could also tot up some bark to improve drain .
Step 4.Dip the skinned part of the cutting into the rooting endocrine , which will facilitate rooting and prevent decomposition .
Step 5.Plant the lower half and cover it with dirt . Place the pots in a well - lit arena where the temperatures are n’t gloomy than 60 ° F , and check that to irrigate them so that the substrate never dries .
Step 6.In a distich of weeks , you ’ll notice that the cuttings have started growing , and once they get through 12 inch long , you could transplant them into your garden .
Propagation By Division
It ’s pretty helpful to divide your Russian salvia and lavender plant every 4 - 6 long time as it allows you to control their growth and prevent them from invading your garden .
The in effect clock time to do it is in saltation when the plants are actively growing and the shrubs are n’t flowering because that uses the plant ’ energy , and they can not amply focalize on vegetative increase .
Step 1.Before digging up the flora , you should cut it back to make it easier . Combine spring snip and dividing your plants into a single chore to make your life easier .
Step 2.you could have as many novel plants as there are woody stems of the lavender . severalise the roots with your mitt , slowly pull out them aside . Be careful not to cause too much harm to the root !
tread 3.Dig some holes for your new shrubs as deep as their current theme systems , tot up some fertilizer to the grunge , and even compost or organic filth to give these plant a boost .
Pro tip : Divide your plants on a nebulous sidereal day so as to understate impact .
The video below show ply some excellent tips for dividing lavender , and you’re able to practice that knowledge to disunite your Russian sage as well :
Harvesting
Once the plants produce flowers , it is sentence to reap them and make sachet , mixed bag , repel bugs , etc .
Simplysnip off the stems before the flowers fully clear , and that ’s it ! Take as much as you demand and allow the rest to grace your grounds .
You shouldbe careful not to harvest woody stemsas that can unfeignedly hurt your plants and induce waste .
The best time for harvest is when the blooms set off appear so the plant can keep on bloom and produce a more viable yield .
Cut the stem turn early in the morningbecause the oil are more acute , and the heat wo n’t suffer the plant life .
Application
Russian sageand lavender have the same applications and can be used for cooking and makingessential oil .
For case , you canmake a tasty lavender lemonadeby mixing sugar , warm piddle , and lavender prime to make a syrup and then adding lemon yellow succus and water to your taste .
When it come to Russian sage , we choose ready tea from it . It not only smells and tastes amazing , but also has medicinal benefits such as soothing an disquieted tum .
Both plants can repel insects , although lavender has a stronger perfume , so it ’s more effective .
Q&A Corner
Even though we have talked about many matter concerning lavender and Russian salvia , we sleep with that you may still have some questions .
Therefore , we decided to investigate your inquiries and serve them to the good of our knowledge so that your lavender and Russian salvia know - how is complete .
permit ’s get started !
Does lavender go with Russian sage?
As both plants belong to the same family , you could use them together or alternately .
Just abide in mind that lavender is more potent than Russian sage , so adjust the quantity consequently .
Does Russian sage smell like lavender?
Russian salvia smells like salvia , but it contains a slight pinch of lavender scent as well .
However , its scent is much less intense than that of lavender , so you ’ll require to pick much more Russian salvia to get the same effect .
Does lavender work as a bug repellant?
Lavender is an splendid hemipteran repellent that keep mosquitoes and moth at bay laurel . you’re able to relieve your skin and clothes by only hang dried lavender around the household and in your closets .
Lavender is so fragrant that you do n’t even have to burn it or squelch its leaf in order for it to work .
However , if you require to check that that the mosquitoes do n’t sting you , you’re able to simply crush some lavender leaves between your fingers to release the oil and rub them onto your skin .
Final Thoughts
This clause bring in you the nine main differences between Russian sage vs lavender , so you wo n’t have any problem separate between the two from now on .
These differences may also avail you settle which one to get . For case , if you want more fragrant and succinct plant , you should go with lavender . However , Russian salvia is your go - to if you need a stalwart plant .
These plants are also similar and have the same care guide and applications . Therefore , you could produce them side by side , reap them when the time comes , and use them in cooking or for repelling bugs .
Hopefully , you could choose between the two , or better yet , tame both of them and turn your garden into a pollinator -friendly property .
Until next time !
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