Salvia Officinalis
Family: Labiatae
Native of Spain to Asia Minor
Zones: 3-8
Appearance: Leathery, gray-green leaves on slightly woody
stems up to 2 feet high. The stems don't always support the plant; it can get
floppy. It produces attractive spikes of blue-purple (only occasionally white)
flowers.
Growing Know-How: Plant sage in well-drained soil and full
sun. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart. Cut back old stems in spring to
encourage strong new growth to emerge. Divide every couple of years to
rejuvenate plants.
Propagation: You can start the species Salvia officinalis
from seed fairly easily. Sow the seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last
spring frost. You can also divide or take cuttings from existing plants.
Cultivars: You can buy brightly colored, but often less
hardy sages. 'Tricolor' has white, rose, and green leaves. 'Purpurea' is a
purple-leaved form and 'Icterina' is a golden variegated form. You can also grow
dwarf, flop-resistant, silver-leaved sages. Or for a high-performance garden
sage, look for 'Berggarten', which has larger-than-average round leaves and a
bushy habit that stays full down to the base of the stems.
Potential Problems: Discourage rots and slugs with
well-drained soil. Encourage good air circulation to prevent mildew and heat
problems.
Harvesting and Using: Sage has the best flavor when used
fresh with cheese or chicken dishes and stuffings. Try rubbing a fresh leaf on a
pork chop before grilling it. You can also use sage for tea, in limited
quantities; it tastes better if mixed with peppermint.
Related Herbs: Clary sage (S. sclarea) is a biennial or
perennial with beautiful long spikes of white, purple, or blue flowers that can
reach 4 feet high. You can use the foliage for potpourri.
S. viridis is an ornamental annual sometimes sold as clary. It produces pink
bracts that resemble flowers and make excellent cut or dried flowers, but it has
no herbal use.
Purple sage (S. o. 'Purpurascens') is a hardy cultivar that grows 18 inches
tall. The purple leaves are strongly flavored and can be used in stuffings,
omelets, and soups. Purple sage is also planted as an ornamental to complement
yellow blossoms in the garden.
Purple sage (S. o. 'Purpurascens') is a hardy cultivar that grows 18 inches
tall. The purple leaves are strongly flavored and can be used in stuffings,
omelets, and soups. Purple sage is also planted as an ornamental to complement
yellow blossoms in the garden.
Pineapple sage (S. elegans) is a perennial in zone 8; it is grown as an
annual elsewhere. It has pineapple-scented foliage and spikes of red flowers in
late summer and fall. Use its leaves for teas or potpourri, and in fruit salads.
Other related herbs include blue sage (S. clevelandii) and silver sage (S.
argentea)
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