Wood sage 'East Friesland'

Questions about wood sage 'East Friesland'

Does wood sage 'East Friesland' need sun or shade?

Wood sage 'East Friesland' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does wood sage 'East Friesland' grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does wood sage 'East Friesland' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late May to late July. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should wood sage 'East Friesland' be planted?

16 in (40 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 18 in (45 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many wood sage 'East Friesland' plants do I need?

At 16 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 7 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 8 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 21 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.

Is wood sage 'East Friesland' poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like wood sage 'East Friesland'?

Wood sage 'East Friesland' comes from Europe and west-central Asia. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Stokes' aster: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late June to mid August.
• Sundrops 'Fireworks': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; yellow, not purple.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat wood sage 'East Friesland'?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after wood sage 'East Friesland'?

Wood sage 'East Friesland' is over by late July. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall.
• Ornamental onion 'Millenium': from mid July to late August, 18 in tall.
• Black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush': from mid July to early October, 24 in tall.

What does wood sage 'East Friesland' look like in winter?

Wood sage 'East Friesland' dies down, but leave the stems standing: the seed heads stand through the winter, and songbirds eat the seed. Cut them down in early spring, before the new shoots come.

Is wood sage 'East Friesland' good for bees and butterflies?

Wood sage 'East Friesland' is visited by bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and songbirds.