Ed my pineapple sage comes back each year but I am in zone 8. I left the dead limbs until Feb. I then cut the dead limbs back to the ground. I have beautiful sprouts now.

My pineapple sage is now on year 3. Didn't know what to do with it the first year either.

Cut the wood back to the ground in Spring but after risk of hard freeze is over. The plant won't grow from the old wood. It sprouts from the base. I'd wait until you see sprouts, then it's safe to cut back the dead wood.

Mine in zone 6b almost never comes back, so I have to wonder whether there is any hope for zone 5. And how long does it bloom for you in SE Mi? Some years here in New Jersey if we have an early frost, we see no blooms at all. There is a cultivar called Honeymelon that is said to bloom from early summer, and although one contact told me the flowers aren't nearly as nice as the standard, it would be worth a try, especially in colder climates.

I'm sorry but I can't imagine s. elegans coming back in zone 5. It usually doesn't like less than the low 30's for a short period. I over wintered one in a protected, insulated garage that the low outside was 24* a few times that came back. If you have to purchase another this year they grow fast and don't bloom until the end of the season so you'll be OK. Good luck.

Mine here in western NY don't come back. I am zone 6 and they are in a protected area. I usually buy small plants in the herb section as they are cheaper. THey grow very quickly and sprout at the end of the summer. Last year I did collect seed so I am waiting to see if a few seeds will germinate this year

Penny

What do you know: winter temps as low a 3 degrees, and biblical precip: and yes, one has come back. It was just under the roof overhang and near a bedroom wall. Perhaps it's just me, but is there any reason to overwinter this sage? And understand that this is from a person with 6 rooted plants hardening off by the garage. After all, it has all summer to grow; it's not like a bigger plant will bloom sooner; any good herb stand will have it, at least around here. So what's the point? Is it just because it's a challenge? And what often happens at the end of the season, the thing comes into bloom one day prior to the first hard freeze. And another thing, no matter when it freezes, you always know that the plant would have gotten better and better; mine is always covered with new early stage flower stalks.

So this year I'll try something different. One will be put in a large pot this spring and grown out all summer. In the fall when heavy frost or a freeze is predicted, it'll come onto the back porch until things improve. With any luck, it'll bloom all winter and spring. Another plant that will handled the same way will be mexican bush sage. That is, if all goes well, and someone doesn't forget to water them during the hot months.

wardw: this sounds like a good plan to me -- I use to live in CT. Mine never ever were able to bloom before the first frost.

I hate to buy new plants every spring. Last fall I cut them back to about 6" tall, covered with 6" of leaves, & a plastic sheet held down with bricks. Believe it or not our voles & field mice left them alone and when I uncovered them last month they were sprouting. Today they are well on their way to being huge again. I plan to try this next fall with other tender perennials ie salvia leucantha & greggii, maybe even rosemary.

Wardw - I did exactly that. I grew one in a large pot and brought it in during winter. It got enormous, like a bush and flowered in July instead of October. Did this for 3 years and it 'bit the dust' because I forgot it and left it out last winter. In my zone, this is the best way to keep them.
Jane

I seem to hear mixed reviews, so I guess I'll just have to do what I think is best. I'm just so angry that I live in this NW Indiana (5)zone and honestly some plants can just be covered with leaves and it serves as mulch and it's fine and yet others just cannot tolerate the cold winters here and die off. I have issues with throwing away life...plants that is, and feel guilty when I have to. I just feel that I'm responsible for putting them in the ground, so I'm responsible for their perishing. I know...sappy huh. but it's ME. I would love to think that I could put it in the ground and it would flourish..but I have some doubts. Will let you know about the PS saga.
Angel

Angel, where did you find this old posting? If you have a garage you can plant it in a large pot and just drag it inside when a frost or freeze is called. Since 2005 I've done it with many types of short-daylight sages and can usually keep them going well into the new year. Several times these salvia have flagged down rare western hummingbirds making a hungry late fall journey through my state.
This year I'm trying Honeymelon which does bloom in the summer. It is the same species as Pineapple Sage Salvia elegans.

When I lived in Michigan We cut it back and put a LOT 6 inches I think (could be wrong), and they came back.
down here in Florida I don't have that problem

I feel horrible ,all the leaves fell of my pineapple sage plant for no reason or so i thought.I got reading and found out it didn't like full sun and we were getting a lot of rain.I moved the bald plant to my east porch and hear it is September.Well now it getting all new leaves and it is still in a big pot.They usually die on me in the ground over winter and this one didn't even have a chance to bloom.Should i bring it in the house over the winter if it keeps getting more leaves.I already brought my white sage in and my Passion flower cus it has been getting pretty cold.Should i bring it in or not.It looks pretty sad right now with just green leaves popping up in quite a few places.I don't know how to use the links below and i don't know what they do,lol so i hope this goes through.Thanks for any help.Thank you all

Pineapple Sage is a Fall bloomer... and needs a warmish Fall to even do this. It will not survive cold. I have had one bloom inside the house where it had a lot of indirect light.

I have clipped stems and re grown them in the winter inside in michigan. I just didn’t have good louck with them last year. I had three pinnapple sage plants Last year and none of them came back! I tried to take some of them in the house the plant died. I try to use some of the stems inside those wouldn’t take either. I had to buy new pineapple sage plants this year! I n 2020 every stem thet I replanted in the house grew just fine.

I live in zone 8 and have had the pineapple sages for 3 year. Every winter the leaves and branches die back but next spring it regrows and gets bigger. I