Salvia officinalis

Plant Family

Lamiaceae

Plant Botanical Name

Salvia officinalis

Photo by: JAMES H. SCHUTTE

Plant Common Name

Culinary Sage, Sage

General Description

Whether used to flavor sausage, Thanksgiving stuffing or butter for pasta, sage is a favorite herb in western cooking. This semi-woody perennial is an age old culinary herb has been used to flavor foods in home gardens for centuries. Other historical references include it as an ingredient for medicinal teas and poultices during The Middle Ages. It is native to Europe and northern Africa where it naturally grows in Mediterranean chaparral shrub lands and open areas.

Garden sage is a bushy plant that produces long, soft, gray-green leaves that are evergreen to semi-evergreen and fragrant when lightly rubbed. Like most aromatic herbs, the aroma comes from glandular hairs filled with aromatic oil. These oil-filled hairs are found just along the surface of the leaves and are called trichomes. In late spring to early summer upright stems of two-lipped, lilac-blue flowers appear. These are subtly attractive, lightly fragrant and particularly attractive to bees. Cut the spent stems to maintain a neat appearance and encourage new leaf development. Garden sage will not rebloom, even if deadheaded.

This perennial herb is a joy to grow because it is pretty, functional and easy. It requires full sun and very well-drained soil. Excessive moisture at the root zone can lead to root rot. Avoid mulching it too. Once established, sage is very drought tolerant and will thrive where growing conditions drier, though it will also flourish in areas with regular rain if provided sharply drained soil and high light.

Harvest sage leaves year round for culinary purposes. They may be eaten fresh or stems can be hung upside down to dry and stored for later use. Sage also doubles as a resilient garden ornamental. It looks super in rock gardens, mixed borders and containers.

Characteristics

• AHS Heat Zone

  8 - 5

• USDA Hardiness Zone

  5 - 8

• Sunset Zone

  A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

• Plant Type

  Perennial

• Sun Exposure

  Full Sun, Partial Sun

• Height

  12"-32" / 30.5cm - 81.3cm

• Width

  2'-3' / 0.6m - 0.9m

• Bloom Time

  Late Spring, Early Summer

• Native To

  Europe, Mediterranean, Northern Africa

Growing Conditions

• Soil pH

  Neutral, Alkaline

• Soil Drainage

  Well Drained

• Soil type

  Loam, Sand

• Growth Rate

  Fast

• Water Requirements

  Drought Tolerant, Average Water

• Habit

  Oval/Rounded

• Seasonal Interest

  Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Ornamental Features

• Flower Interest

  Showy

• Flower Color

  Blue Violet

• Fruit Color

  Brown

• Foliage Color (Spring)

  Sea Green, Gray Green

• Foliage Color (Summer)

  Sea Green, Gray Green

• Foliage Color (Fall)

  Sea Green, Gray Green

• Foliage Color (Winter)

  Sea Green, Gray Green

• Bark Color

  Sandy Brown, Gray

• Fragrant Flowers

  Yes

• Fragrant Fruit

  No

• Fragrant Foliage

  Yes

• Bark or Stem Fragrant

  Yes

• Flower Petal Number

  Single

• Repeat Bloomer

  No

• Showy Fruit

  No

• Edible Fruit

  No

• Showy Foliage

  Yes

• Foliage Texture

  Medium

• Foliage Sheen

  Matte

• Evergreen

  Semi-Evergreen

• Showy Bark

  No

Special Characteristics

• Usage

  Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall

• Sharp or Has Thorns

  No

• Invasive

  No

• Self-Sowing

  No