Native to Central America, pineapple sage is a pretty tough cookie, but unfortunately, it’s just not built for freezing temperatures. If you don’t want to buy a brand-new plant every single spring, you’ll need to give it a cozy spot to spend the winter.
The Perfect Winter Home
Pineapple sage is an evergreen herb, meaning it keeps its leaves all year round. This is great news because you can keep harvesting it for your kitchen recipes even in the dead of winter! To keep those leaves happy, though, the plant needs plenty of light. The ideal winter spot should be bright but cool.
Getting Your Pineapple Sage Ready for Winter
To keep your pineapple sage from getting too woody, it’s a good idea to give it a haircut once a year. You can even use those cuttings for propagation to grow new plants! If your indoor space is a bit tight, I recommend pruning the plant back in the fall before moving it inside.
Pro tip: If you want to make your life easier, grow this aromatic herb in a pot or container. It makes moving it indoors a breeze! Just remember that container plants are hungry—make sure to fertilize regularly in the summer or repot it in the spring to refresh the nutrients. Once winter hits, you can dial back the watering significantly compared to the hot summer months.
Pineapple Sage as Decoration
With its vibrant red flowers, pineapple sage is a total showstopper in the garden. But since it isn’t hardy enough to survive a frost, you have to get creative. If your plant is thriving, the stems look gorgeous in airy summer bouquets. Plus, those bright red blooms hold their color well and work perfectly in dried fall arrangements.
Quick Summary:
- Not frost-hardy
- Ideal winter temperature: between 40°F and 60°F (5°C to 15°C)
- Keep it in a bright spot so it doesn’t drop its leaves
- Prune in the fall if you’re short on space
- Don’t fertilize in winter and water sparingly
- Slowly acclimate it to the outdoors in the spring
- Wait until after the last frost to move it back outside permanently
- Repot container plants in the spring if they’ve outgrown their home
Tip: If you keep your pineapple sage in a sunny window, you can keep harvesting fresh leaves well into the winter. It’s the perfect way to have fresh herbs on hand for cooking or a relaxing cup of tea!
