Sage

Parts Usually Used

Leaves

Description of Plant(s) and Culture

There are several varieties of sage; scarlet sage (S. splendens) red flowers and used for flavoring, and garden sage (S. officinalis) with aromatic leaves used, when dried, for seasoning meats, Cleveland sage (S. Clevelandi), Fruit salad sage (S. dorisiana), etc. Others are: Clarey sage (S. sclarea), Mexican bush sage (S. leucantha), Variegated and Golden sage, Lyre-leaved sage (S.

lyrata) is a folk remedy for cancer and warts, Pineapple sage, Purple sage (S. officinalis purpurea), Tricolor sage (S. officinalis tricolor), Holt’s mammoth sage (S. officinalis Holt’s mammoth), ornamental sage (S. farinacea victoria), meadow sage (S. pratense), berggarten, nana, rubriflora, elegans, icterina, Frieda Dixon, and on and on. Salvia officinalis is a shrubby perennial plant that grows 2 feet high and is an aromatic, sun-loving plant with gray-green leaves and mauvish flowers.

A strongly branched root system produces square, finely hairy stems which are woody at the base and bear opposite, downy, oblong leaves which may be entire or finely crenate. The floral leaves are ovate to ovate-lanceolate. Purple, blue, or white two-lipped flowers grow in whorls which form terminal racemes. Flowering time is June and July. Other varieties: Native Americans used a plant they called sage (Artemisia jrigida) or mountain ball sage.

” Tea from the leaves was taken for coughs. Bud sage (Artemisia spinescens) was cooked (the plant) and used the juice as medicine for the bladder. ” Native Americans also used Small Sage (Artemisia gnaphalodes) was used as a steam bath along with the tea for young girls approaching maturity. ” Also called “Ba wa zip,” or young people’s tea. Sweet sage (Artemisia dracunculoides), when dried, has a pleasing fragrance and was used in the Sun Dance with Small Sage (A.

gnaphalodes). Black Sage (Artemisia nova) as a laxative. The Chinese use sage (Salvia japonica). Also, in China, the root of a related plant, (Salvia miltiorrhiza), called Dan shen, is used as a tonic herb.

Where Found

Sage is a native to the Mediterranean area, where it grows wild predominantly on mountain slopes and is commonly cultivated as a kitchen spice. Naturalized and cultivated in the United States for the past 3 centuries.

Medicinal Properties

Diaphoretic, antiviral, carminative, stimulant, diurectic, antispasmodic, antidiarrheic, expectorant, tonic, aromatic, nervine, vermifuge, diuretic, stomachic, antiseptic, anithydrotic, astringent, promotes estrogen, antigalactagogue (decreases secretion of milk), uterine stimulant, reduces blood sugar levels

Biochemical Information

Volatile oil, resin, tannin, and a bitter principle, triterpenoids, flavonoids, estrogenic substances, saponins. The oil is composed of camphor, salvene, 15% cineol, 30% thujone, and pinene.

Legends, Myths and Stories

Sage, as its name implies, is said to carry powers of wisdom, as well as longevity. It was considered a valuable commodity in 17th century China, when merchants would trade 3 or 4 chests of tea for one chest full of sage. Sage is known as a cure-all. Native Americans mixed the herb with bear grease to create an all-purpose salve. Sage tea mixed with vinegar was given during the time of the plague.

” In Cyprus and Egypt, after a great plague, the women were forced to drink sage juice, to cause them to be more fruitful. An ancient Chinese proverb says, “How can a man grow old who has sage in his garden”. The Chinese highly regarded sage so much they gave the early Dutch and British traders twice the amount of their choicest Oriental teas in exchange for it. The Chinese make fun of the American people; they buy tea at a high price for their tea; the Chinese buy sage from America for a low price and drink that for their tea.

This tea will keep them healthy, the tea the Americans buy from the Chinese make them sick. Sage is very soothing and quieting to the nerves, while the tea Americans drink is a great cause of nervousness and headaches. Traditionally, sage was associated with longevity, having the reputation of restoring failing memory in the elderly. It was also planted on graves. , drink sage tea cold and it will cause the milk flow to cease.

Native Americans smoked sage leaves as pipe tobacco. One man was reported to be overworked, worn out physically, even had a twitching of his eye that never stopped. He made a tea of the dried culinary herb using 2 heaped tsp. of herb. One wineglassful after meals. Twitching went away, he could rest better, looked rested and felt healthy.

Uses

Historical herbalists regarded sage as a broad remedy for numerous everyday complaints. Traditional practitioners recommended it for respiratory issues such as coughs, colds, and sore throats, often preparing it as a gargle or mouthwash for canker sores and inflamed gums. It was traditionally administered to aid digestion, address stomach gas, promote bowel movements, and stimulate menstrual flow.

Folk traditions also utilized the herb to reduce perspiration, night sweats, and fevers, as well as to ease headaches. Externally, herbalists applied sage preparations to wounds, skin eruptions, and ulcers, and credited it with the ability to staunch bleeding. It was historically viewed as a tonic for the brain and nervous system, believed to support memory and calm trembling limbs.

In folk cosmetic practices, it was applied to the scalp for dandruff, hair loss, and premature graying, while sprigs were placed in wardrobes as a moth deterrent. Additionally, the related lyre-leaved sage (Salvia lyrata) of the eastern United States was historically used in similar fashions, with its crushed leaves specifically employed in folk medicine to address warts, typically as part of herbal mixtures.

How Sold

Sold as a culinary spice.

Bibliography

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