is for Sage–
the venerable one

The common garden sage is an herb of great standing. Associated with wisdom and longevity, sage could be considered the inspiration for the Vulcan farewell, “Live long and prosper,” from Star Trek, my favorite TV show; it certainly wasn’t the Romulans’.

What’s in a Name?

Let’s not confuse garden sage (Salvia officinalis) with the wild sagebrush of the American west (Artemisa tridentata). While they’re both called sage, they are completely different species. Sagebrush leaves are toothed at the very tip of the leaf, and the species name tridentata, or three-toothed, indicates this description; there are other species, but this is the most common. To make matters more confusing, there are actually wild Salvias out West too, especially in California, but we will limit our discussion to the “safe” sage, which is what the Latin word salvus means. Like the wild sages, garden sage (which is actually a member of the mint family) can also be bundled up into a smudge stick and burned to clear negative energy and bring about a sense of calm. Yes, the common garden sage has a lot to offer.

Sage as Nurturer

Sage has many uses in the kitchen apothecary. Besides taking a simple sage tea for mild anxiety and the occasional down-in-the-dumps feeling, sage tea can also help relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. Boil 1 pint water and steep with 1 rounded teaspoon sage leaf for 10 minutes; strain and serve lightly sweetened if desired. Nursing mothers use sage tea to dry up breast milk when weaning a baby. However, you should avoid sage tea if you are pregnant or if you have high blood pressure. If your depression becomes chronic or severe, please do not hesitate to speak to another person you consider venerable and wise (in other words, someone sage), who can guide you to workable options, because there is no reason to suffer alone.

Keep It in Stock

Sage tea can be used as a gargle for sore throat and laryngitis, and as a mouthwash for thrush—do not sweeten. The natural volatile oil in sage leaf is antiseptic and kills bacteria and fungus, but do not use the powerful sage essential oil externally without proper dilution, and never use it internally. A strong tea wash for home use (cleaning) can be made instead—just make it stronger than for beverage tea, and do not drink. You may ask, if essential oils are so potent, why are they even available? Well, they have clinical, industrial, and therapeutic value when used properly, and this requires a wee bit of safety protocol. Sure, you can add a few drops to the water bucket for mopping the floor, but you should wear gloves if you’ll be washing walls so you don’t stick your hands in the water. The first protocol in safety is common sense.

To make a fragrant aftershave and bath splash, take a combination of fresh or dried sage and lavender leavess—enough to fill half of a 1-pint jar—cover with prepared witch hazel, then cover with waxed paper and the lid. Label and date, and infuse for 2 weeks. Do not drink!

A strong sage tea also makes an excellent final rinse for gray or silver hair, or dark hair in general. It adds a wonderful sheen. Check out “L is for Lustrous Locks” on page 197 for other ways to use sage on your hair.

And Then Some

Breakfast sausage wouldn’t be the same without a hefty pinch of rubbed sage in the seasoning blend. And for some, roast turkey means bread stuffing flavored with celery and sage, with gravy on everything. Sage is delicious and appropriate with rich foods such as pork and poultry. You can even tie a bunch of sage to a sturdy chopstick and use it like a brush to baste foods roasting in the oven. Check out the recipe in “G is for Greens for Beans,” page 153, for a tasty herbal blend that includes sage and is used to season a pot o’ beans.

The Best for Last

There are hundreds of varieties of ornamental plants bearing the name salvia that are very popular in the flower garden; their square stems reveal their relation to other members of the mint family (all mints have square stems, but not all square-stemmed plants are mints). Salvia flowers are spirelike, give vertical dimension to annual plantings, and usually come in bright reds and deep burgundies. Our venerable garden sage is a woody perennial that stays green late into fall and greens up early in the spring. It can grow quite large, perhaps 2 to 3 feet high and wide, in a good location. There are many varieties of garden sage, such as purple, golden, variegated, wide leaved, bumpy leaved, large and small, but plain old sage is the longest-lived and most dependable. It sends out long spikes of lavender-colored flowers that are very charming when cut and placed in an assemblage of tiny antique bottles. I have one sage plant that is over eighteen years old and has been moved several times; I finally placed it near a flowering cherry (which has yet to flower) and other perennial herbs, and it’s there for the duration, for now. Garden sage makes a beautiful component in an herbal wreath. This year I started some from seed, which I have never done before, and the seedlings are doing well and look quite sage-y in spite of their youth.

There is a tall, beautiful red-flowered version of sage called pineapple sage (S. elegans), and its sometimes-variegated leaves definitely smell like pineapple; you can use it sparingly in the kitchen, perhaps in a spicy stir-fry, relish, or with cottage cheese. Pineapple sage has also been added to grape jam as a flavor interest. It is lovely in cut flower arrangements. The biennial clary sage (S. sclarea) is deeply and complexly fragrant, and has strangely unique flowers. Clary sage mixed with elderflower has historically been used to flavor wine. The essential oil of clary sage is used in aromatherapy to balance and calm the emotions; it is also considered an aphrodisiac. This plant takes up a bit of space (but not as much as garden sage), and it sends out lots of babies if you give it what it likes, which is a sunny location, well-drained soil, and a once-a-year feeding; too much nutrition and you’ll get all leaf and little flowering, which is true for all ornamental salvias.

Even a young sage plant looks wise. They are easy to grow and can be placed in a permanent setting, perhaps near a sundial, toad cottage, or garden gnome—someplace where you will stop and spend time with it, and wait for it to share some of its quiet strength in this fast-moving world. Get off the merry-go-round, plant some sage!