Russian sage needs full sun to perform its best. Give it a little shade, and plants tend to flop open as stems stretch for sunlight. Choose a location with hot, intense sun, even as hot as the space between sidewalk and street or a strip along a driveway. Russian sage likes sun and heat.
When planting Russian sage, consider two things this beauty doesn’t like: high humidity and soil that stays soggy in winter. Choose a planting spot with well-drained average soil or alkaline, dry soil. Russian sage adapts well to either soil type. If soil is too fertile, plants tend to become loose and floppy. In this case, insert hoop stakes or use stakes and string to prop stems.