Sage!

"How shall a man die with Sage in his garden"?  This old saying pretty well sums up what civilizations had thought for thousands of years...that sage was a cure all for many ailments.  Sage is Latin for "to save" or "heal".  The Greeks and Romans thought it imparted wisdom, which we could all surely use, along with cures for the eyes, liver, infections, memory loss, fevers and the list goes on and on.  No wonder this was probably one of the most beloved herbs.  Salvia's are native to the Mediterranean, Central and South America and Central and East Asia.  They are a member of the mint family and compose one of the largest species in that family.  There are 700 to 1000 species.  They come in annuals, biennials, perennials and shrubs.  Surely a variety that we can find to fit in the landscape. 



Probably one of the most beloved and used species is Salvia officinalis, or the common culinary sage.  Actually, I should correct myself when I say common, for officinalis in botanical lingo means "of the workshop" or more specifically "of the apothocary".  Pharmacy.  Used primarily as a medicine.  Heady stuff for such a plant.  (you can see the word "officinalis" as the species of any type plant, it is describing how it was used).  This is the plant that the Greek and Romans held in such high esteem.  Sage is easy to grow from seed, drought tolerant...once established...and is evergreen in at least zone 7.  I usually cut mine back by about half after it has finished blooming, to keep it from getting too leggy and freshen it up a bit.  Sage is a good companion plant for Rosemary, cabbage and carrots.  It deters the cabbage moth and carrot fly.  Keep sage away from cukes though, they're not too fond of each other!  The culinary sage has many, many uses in the kitchen....it's not just for stuffing!  As an added bonus, it helps digestion.



Salvia guaranitica, Black and Blue sage.  This one is what prompted me to write about sages today as it is just starting to come into bloom in the garden!  guaranitica is native to South America and was used by the Guarani Indians of Brazil as a sedative.  I have had it in my garden for some time and is one of mine and the hummingbirds favorite plants.  To say the hummingbirds favor this plant is an understatement.  They love it!  It blooms all summer.  It was labeled as an annual when I bought it, but is hardy here on the hill.  The only drawback I have found is, it needs more water than most sages.  It tends to want to wilt when getting the least bit dry.  All divas have their issues!  Can be aggressive by spreading by it's roots in hot climates, but is not here in zone 7.  I've propagated it by just digging up a clump and planting elsewhere.  It's not fussy about that.  Can be taller than some sages...mine is probably 3-4 ft. tall.

Pineapple Sage or Salvia elegans.  Elegant.  This one blooms later and if you notice it's not too big.  That's because I don't think it's suppose to be a perennial in my zone, but heck, it made it through the winter so I'll take what I can get.  The blooms are red and is one of the 3 most popular plants voted on by the hummingbirds!  Native to Mexico and used as an herb for anxiety.  The leaves smell really good and are used for tea.

Salvia greggii or Autumn Sage.  Named for Josiah Gregg 1806-1850 who was a Mexican trader that found and collected them.  Native to Texas and Mexico.  Although it sounds like it would only be perennial in hotter climates, it comes back each year here and in even colder climates.  For colder climates, I would plant it in well drained soil to prevent cold, standing water or ice on the roots in winter and would mulch well.  Mine is blooming now, even though it's name is Autumn Sage.  It will bloom all through summer into fall.  Hold off on pruning the late bloomers, as pruning too late in the fall will cause new growth to get "bit" when winter comes on.   If you must, prune in the Spring.



That's just a smidgen on what can be written about sages!  They are surely worth a place in the garden for the uses and beauty they give back.