How to Grow Texas Sage in a Container

Texas sage is a native North American herbaceous plant found in the southern United States where temperatures are warm and conditions are dry. The plant grows in a shrublike habit and may become 6 feet tall with care but is more commonly about 3 feet tall in the wild. Texas sage has silvery-gray foliage with fine hairs on it and produces tubular purple to pink blooms from spring until summer. Herbs are suited to container growing as long as they are planted in well-drained soil. Texas sage does produce a deep taproot that must be given room to spread. A deep pot will provide the room the roots need without allowing them to wrap around the root ball and strangle the sage.

Pruner

Adult Texas sage

Perlite

Sphagnum moss

Deep container (at least 12 inches)

Plant mister

Water

Take a cutting from a mature Texas sage to grow in a container. Cut off a terminal branch, 4 inches long, after the plant has finished blooming. Strip the bottom 1 inch of leaves.

Fill a pot with a half-and-half mixture of perlite and sphagnum moss. Embed the cutting 1 inch into the potting medium. Water it so that just the top 2 to 3 inches of medium are damp. Place the cutting where temperatures are at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit in bright but indirect light.

Keep the cutting moderately damp for two weeks or until it roots. Then allow it to dry out between watering periods. Gradually introduce the plant to bright, direct light.

Prune the ends of the sage to encourage bushing. If the plant gets too much water or has too much shade, it will get leggy. Cut the pieces back to within 1/4 inch of a growth node from which leaves are growing.

Move the pot or container indoors for the winter if you live in an area where temperatures may dip to below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Sage plants can survive temperatures as low as 5 degrees if they are in the ground, but container plants are more susceptible to cold because they have little insulation for the roots.