by the British Notcutts Nurseries, and first exhibited in 1961. 'Blue Spire' grows to approximately , and has large, darker blue flowers. In 1993, it received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. 'Filigran' reaches a height of ; this tall, sturdy cultivar's name is German for filigree, in reference to its lacy, fern-like foliage. 'Little Spire' is shorter, with a mature height of only . 'Longin' is similar in height to 'Blue Spire' but more upright. Allan Armitage established the late-flowering cultivar 'Mystery of Knightshayes' from a plant at Knightshayes Court. Other cultivars include 'Blue Haze', 'Blue Mist', 'Hybrida' (also called 'Superba'), 'Lace', 'Lisslit', 'Rocketman', and 'WALPPB'. Distribution and habitat Widely distributed across Asia in its native range, S. yangii grows in western China, northwestern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, and parts of eastern Europe. It is found in steppes and on hillsides, and grows at higher elevations in mountainous regions, including the Himalayas. It has been recorded at of altitude in the Karakoram. In Pakistan's Quetta district, it is often found in association with the grass Chrysopogon aucheri, and may serve as an indicator species for soils with low calcium carbonate and chloride availability. The harsh habitats preferred by S. yangii are comparable to the sagebrush steppe of North America. Ecology In parts of its range, such as the Harboi, these steppe ecosystems are employed as rangeland for grazing animals such as sheep and goats, although this forage is generally of poor nutritional quality. S. yangii can serve as an important source of phosphorus and zinc, despite being high in poorly-digested material such as neutral detergent fiber and lignin. Cultivation Following its introduction to the United Kingdom in 1904, the Irish gardener and author William Robinson was immediately taken with the plant, which he described as being "worth a place in the choicest garden for its graceful habit and long season of beauty." The Royal Horticultural Society records the establishment of cultivars beginning with P. 'Hybrida', selected at a Hampshire nursery in the 1930s. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, S. yangii had gained widespread popularity, and in 1995, it was selected as the Perennial Plant Association's Plant of the Year. The cultivar ‘Blue Spire ‘ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. Planting and care Russian sage is a perennial plant suitable for a wide range of conditions, at least where its