Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Regel's Sage (Salvia regeliana)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Regel's sage, Queen's sage.

More about regel's sage

About Regel's Sage

Salvia regeliana · also called Regel's sage, Queen's sage · flowering

Salvia regeliana is a large, herbaceous perennial sage originating from the mountains of Turkey and the Caucasus, forming wide, fragrant grey-green clumps topped with tall branching spikes of purple flowers in summer. It is heat-tolerant and well suited to sunny borders with good drainage. The most important care fact is to cut stems to the ground in late autumn or early winter, as the plant is fully deciduous. The ASPCA lists sage (Salvia) as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Cold limit: USDA 6-10 · RHS H4 (-15°C to 38°C)

Watch for — Crown rot in winter wet: Though reasonably cold-hardy, prolonged winter waterlogging can rot the crown. In heavy clay or regions with wet winters, plant on a slight mound and improve drainage with grit before planting.

What regel's sage's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — regel's sage is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 6-10, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H4 means: Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world. On the US scale that maps to USDA 6-10 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −10 to −5 °C. Regel's Sage is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for regel's sage as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −10 to −5 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can regel's sage go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 6-10 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when regel's sage can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H4 figure above.

Regel's Sage hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is regel's sage cold hardy?

Yes — regel's sage is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H4 and USDA 6-10, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Regel's Sage is hardy across USDA 6-10; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature regel's sage can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −10 to −5 °C. Regel's Sage is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is regel's sage?

Regel's Sage is rated USDA 6-10 and RHS H4 — Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world.

Can regel's sage survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 6-10 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to regel's sage below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −10 to −5 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.