Flower of the Week: Sage

If you are attracted by the sage along the side of the road, you probably have taken the time to stop and enjoy its beauty. This perennial evergreen shrub is very easy to take care of. Not only can it be used in cooking, but it serves as an ornamental plant to spruce up the garden. Furthermore, placing potted sages on the balcony is an excellent choice as the finishing touch for the home.

The most common sage in horticulture is medicinal sage. Its scientific name is Salvia officinalis, but it’s also known as garden sage, common sage, or culinary sage. Sage originates from the Mediterranean region.

Medicinal sage has a long history in medicine and cooking. Nowadays, most sage plants are regarded as ornamental. In fact, it has a wide range of varieties with greatly differing sizes, leaves, colors, and other aspects. Bluish purple flowers are the most common, but there are also white, pink, and purple flowers.

As more varieties are cultivated, leaf colors like purple, rose, cream, and more mixed colors start to appear. The variety with purple leaves is called S. officinalis ‘Purpurascens’, while the variety with green leaves laced with yellowish-white stripes is called S. officinalis ‘Tricolor’. There is a variety that has white flowers called S. officinalis ‘Alba’.

Leaves of Tricolor Sage

Location

If you want to enjoy the royal experience while viewing medicinal sage, visit the Royal Botanic Gardens in England.

Founded in the 18th century, the Royal Botanical Gardens is a world-famous botanical garden established in Kew Gardens and Wakehurst. In Kew Gardens, there are many European-style garden pavilions and arcades from the 17th century, with many fragrant plants cultivated for the Queen of England to enjoy. Medicinal sage is one of them.

Sage in Kew Gardens

Medicinal sage blooms in summer and autumn. When you visit the Kew Gardens, you will be welcomed by a chill wind and an abundance of bluish-purple flowers. Stroll past ancient buildings, view flowers from the lens of royalty, and discover the history and legends that lie behind Salvia officinalis.

From Medicine to Food

In 1753, Carl Linnaeus officially named the plant Salvia officinalis. Like many popular medicinal plants during the time, its specific epithet is “officinalis”. The original meaning of this word is the traditional storage for herbs in the monastery.

Roman people call medicinal sage the sacred herb, and used it to ward off evil spirits and cure diseases. Around 800 A.D., Charlemagne highly recommended the medicinal sage during the Carolingian period, and planted it in the garden of the monastery.

Walahfrid Strabo was a 9th-century monk and theologist who mentioned medicinal sage as giving off a sweet scent in his book, Hortulus. In the 14th and 15th centuries, “cold sage sauce” appeared in Europe, being particularly popular in Italy and the Balkans.

In the British song “Scarborough Fair”, which has been passed down since the 17th century, the chorus mentions a series of edible herb names: “parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme” (although this part of the chorus was actually finalized in the 19th century).

Common Edible Herbs

The fresh leaves of medicinal sage give off a strong fragrance, making it a decent cooking ingredient. Once dried, it can serve as a seasoning that not only adds flavor but also removes the grease from meat dishes. Nowadays, Germans use medicinal sage to pickle sausages, while Italians mix it in meat dishes such as beef brisket. British and American cooks use medicinal sage and onion to flavor Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey and side dishes.

Can I grow medicinal sage?

Medicinal sage has a strong vitality and is easy to grow. As long as you give it sufficient sunlight, the right soil composition, water, pruning, etc., it will amaze you with its striking bluish-purple flowers.

Medicinal sage prefers a dry environment with abundant sunlight and good ventilation. It is not very picky about soil composition; it only requires sandy or deep loam. As an evergreen shrub, medicinal sage is slightly larger than regular evergreen shrubs. Hence, when planting more than one in an area, remember to leave 20 to 30 centimeters between each plant. Furthermore, it is drought-resistant and does not require frequent watering, so don’t forget to drain the pot if it is potted. After blooming, prune to encourage new branches to germinate.

Size: Up to 60 cm (2 feet) in height

Cold resistance: USDA zone 4-10

Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade

Soil: Sandy loam or deep loam with good drainage

Bloom time: Summer to autumn