Not All “Sage” Is

Nope.  Not all “sage” is truly sage.  Apologies to my English teachers, but I hope I caught your attention with the title.    I wish to call attention to the fact that many plants are called “sage,” but only some of them are the sage you should use for cooking or “culinary purposes.”

Culinary Sage

Why we are even discussing this?  Because some sages are NOT edible.  Some are even highly detrimental to your health is used in place of the culinary sage.  Just because it has “sage” in the name does NOT mean it is safe to consume.  And reminder – just because some friend on social media says they eat it all the time does not mean you should. (see our * Notes below.)

The culinary sage you purchase in the store is Salvia officinalis.

Word Nerd Shares

This name, Salvia officinalis doesn’t mean it is the “official” sage, it means it is the medicinal sage.  The word officinalis literally means “of or belonging to an officina,” the officina was the storeroom of a monastery where medicines were kept.

Salvia officinalis once had many medicinal uses, including to help ward off bubonic plague (not a common ailment today).    Studies done in recent years show that sage does have some medicinal value – including as a local anesthetic for the skin, as a hemostatic agent, and as a diuretic.*

The Salvia Genus

Salvia is a massive genus, with over 1500 named species and varieties of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals.    Many of these salvia are used, often for cooking or medicinal purposes, in ritual (Salvia apiana, the white sage), for dye, and to simply bring us pleasure as cultivated garden ornamentals.

Plant Nerd Notes

Like iris (Iris), the scientific name and the common name for salvia (Salvia) are the same.  Can you think of some others?

Here are a few in case wish to dazzle friends with some trivia: starting with agave, aloe, acacia, and aster. In scientific nomenclature they are Agave, Aloe, Acacia, and Aster. More in this Gardening With Soule article on Botanical Names.

Some Sages That Aren’t Salvia

Wood sage, Teucrium scorodonia, is a herb used for flavoring beverages.
Rain sage, Leucophyllum, is a genus of shrubs in the snapdragon family. They are also called “Texas rangers.”
Sagebrush, also called desert sage, prairie sage, and often some unprintable names by people trying to ride through them, is generally Artemisia. There is an Artemisia that is used to make a liqueur.

Mexican bush sage is Salvia leucantha. The hummingbirds like it but it is a tropical Mexican native and is not frost hardy.   I only plant it because the hummingbirds love it. It doesn’t even have the benefit of edible flowers, like so many of it’s cousins.

True Sage

True sage, Salvia officinalis is for the kitchen.  It grows in the ground or in pots here in the Southwest (afternoon shade in summer please).  How to grow sage is covered on Gardening With Soule.

It is very pretty in a container with trailing rosemary around the edges and sage in the middle. They get along well together – whereas thyme and rosemary don’t. It’s called companion planting.

Salvia officinalis tends to not bloom, but the rosemary sure does – and those flowers are edible by humans.  Did you know that rosemary is now officially a salvia too? It’s now considered Salvia rosmarinus.

Edible Salvia Flowers

Shrubby Salvia greggii (Gregg’s salvia, autumn sage) comes in vast array of colors (I have 7 different colors so far) and I keep it for the hummingbirds and for the edible flowers.  The flowers have a very mild tang to them and can be frozen in ice cubes for a lovely festive flair to your upcoming Spring party. More on Edible Flowers.  We also have a page on Edible Flower Safety.

Salvia coccinia, the scarlet sage, is non-shrubby and blooms in winter when the autumn sage doesn’t.  The scarlet flowers are edible by humans – and look lovely in a green salad! Hummingbirds will hover within millimeters of the ground to sip the nectar.

Chia

To finish on a positive note, both species of chia, Salvia hispanica, and Salvia columbariae grow well in my Sonoran Desert yard.  Salvia hispanica likes containers with nice rich potting soil and some afternoon shade in summer.    Salvia columbariae grows in the desert soil and comes back as a winter wildflower every year, especially if I sprinkle the soil with water once a week.  Food using chia seeds.

Thank YOU

Thanks to the reader that posted a question about sage a few weeks ago in our post on Flavor Blends. There are so many things to write about – so when you ask a question you are helping us help you!

Thanks for Reading!

The Savorists

*    Notes

An earlier version of this post may still be floating around on the interweb.  More about the history of Savor the Southwest.

Other Herbs –

The last few copies of this out-of-print award winning Southwestern book are now for sale. Father Kino’s Herbs: Growing and Using Them Today  

The review says:

“Award-winning garden writer Dr. Jacqueline A. Soule has pulled together a fascinating book on the life of Father Eusebio Francisco Kino and some of the plants that he brought to Southern Arizona and northwestern Sonora, and area called the Pimeria Alta.”

This link is to our sales site. The profits from the sale go to the local Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute.  We hope you will help support this great Southwest non-profit!

And Here’s Our Cookbook!

May we suggest our dandy little cookbook?   Christmas is coming 😉

Using Honey in New and Savory Ways offers 36 pages of tips for using honey in your cooking, as well as in all manner of dishes. A steal at only $6!

We hope you will help support some local Southwest folks!
From the review:
“Honey is for more than desserts and this book can help! Using honey in cooking savory dishes helps engage all your taste buds and adds a layer of added flavor to everyday dishes – plus holiday fare.”

Beekeeper?  We offer volume discounts – because if you sell honey in local markets you might want to offer some of these books as well.

Legal Note

© Article copyright Savor the Southwest // Jacqueline A. Soule. All rights reserved. You must ask permission to republish an entire blog post or article. Okay to use a short excerpt but you must give proper credit. You must include a link back to the original post on our site. No stealing photos.

Disclaimer

The authors of this website have researched the edibility of the materials we discuss, however, humans vary in their ability to tolerate different foods, drinks, and herbs. Individuals consuming flowers, plants, animals or derivatives mentioned in this blog do so entirely at their own risk. The authors on this site cannot be held responsible for any adverse reaction. In case of doubt please consult your medical practitioner.