Clary Sage

Salvia sclarea
Also known as clary, europe sage, clear eye

$5.00

In stock

Description

Clary sage is such a fun plant to have in the garden. It is beautiful, insectiary, medicinal, aromatic and provides nutritious seeds as food.

Indeed clary sage leaves are out of this world. They almost look like elephant skin with their big hairy bumps, but they are so soft as to be beloved. Many a time I have walked by clary sage to reach down and pet his soft, inviting leaves.

Whether touching on purpose or brushing Clary as I walk by, I am transported to a beautiful place by his powerful, yet gentle sagey aroma. The flowers and flower stalks as well are covered with oils and smell delightful.

Ann enjoys cutting the flower stalks in their prime to bring in for summer bouquets. The flowers offer unique, graceful and pastel beauty as well as delicious aroma to our home.

One thing I really like about gardening with Clary sage is that the big leaves are very good at shading weeds and grass below it. In fact it can seed itself right in the middle of grass and slowly make a place for itself. By year two the plant is so well established that the grass doesn’t have a chance to overtake it.

Another huge benefit of growing clary sage in our climate is how drought tolerant it is. In some places outside our garden clary sage can handle zero water and still survive, which is incredible considering how arid and long our summers are. But with a little water and some organic matter in the soil clary sage will easily thrive. It gives us a lot of options as to where we plant clary sage.

Clary sage is a short lived perennial. Indeed some people consider it a biennial because it only grows for 2 seasons. In our experience clary sage can grow up to 5 years in ideal conditions as a true perennial, or short-lived perennial.

In addition to appealing to our sight, smell and touch, clary offers delicious sage like flavors best experienced in tea. Some people consider clary sage their favorite sage for tea since it’s not as strong as some other sages and has a good flavor.

One thing I personally love to champion about clary sage is its seeds. Clary sage seeds are nutritious and mucilagenous, very similar to chia seed. In fact clary sage seeds can be used as a replacement to chia seeds in recipes and as a binding agent. The biggest two differences being 1) clary sage seeds are much bigger than chia seeds, and 2) clary sage seeds are easier to grow and collect because the plant is a perennial and reliably produces seeds in years 2+. The mucilaginous quality of clary sage’s seeds are a wonder for the health of our digestive system.

Clary sage is helpful for the digestion and also has similar benefits with other sages with regard to helping our immune system stay strong during cold season. Externally clary sage can sooth and cool inflammation. In the past clary sage seeds have been used in the eye, one seed at a time; it was said the mucilage would attract dust and fine foreign particles to the seed and make them easier to remove, hence the old alternative common names clear eye, see bright and eye bright.

In the olden days clary sage leaves were often used to flavor wine and ales, sometimes in place of hops, and imparted a delightful complex flavor and strong bitter note as well as medicinal value to those that imbibed.

Like other sages, and many other plants in the mint family, clary sage is deer resistant due largely to its volatile oils, strong aromatic properties and hairy leaves. These are three qualities deer just don’t appreciate. In fact we’ve never observed a single deer bite in our plants that grow unprotected.

We are excited to offer clary sage seeds with you so that you can enjoy the beauty, sensory delights, food and medicine in your garden and home for years to come!

Read our article on gardening with Clary Sage and other broadleaf plants: Befriending Broadleafs: Our Garden’s Beloved Shade Makers

Details

Lifecycle: Perennial
Lifespan: 2-5 years
Hardiness zones: 5-9 (USDA)
Habitats: Rocky soils, roadsides and forest edges Turkey, North Africa and parts of Asia
Plant size: 2 1/2 ft wide x 3 1/2 feet tall
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: All soil types
Water: Does well in moist or dry soils, drought tolerant
Seeds per packet: 30+ seeds

Seed Starting

Very easy to direct seed. Start seeds in spring by direct sowing in a well prepared garden bed, just barely covering seed with soil. Keep top layer of soil moist until the plants germinate. Alternatively start in flats or pots until large enough to transplant into their final position.

Cultivation

Clary sage needs very little tending. We have volunteer plants coming up even in the middle of grass and shading out the grass beneath its leaves. It’s an excellent border plant between gardens and grass.

Cut flower stalks for arrangements or leave them to go to seed and reseed in your garden for continuous clary sage plants through the years. Cut the seed stalks in late winter after seeds have dispersed to make room for new growth. Or cut the seed stalks earlier and scatter them around where you want more clary sage to grow.

Harvest

The large leaves can be harvested any time for drying or fresh use.

Propagation

It’s easy to divide the older clary sage plants because they make roots at the base of each new cluster of leaves very close to the surface of the soil. First year clary sage plants also transplant well in the fall, winter or spring.

Seed Saving

Seeds are harvested when the flowers have dried up and stalks are turning brown. Thresh or crush the dry seed heads to release the seeds, screen the seeds from chaff and lightly blow or winnow the remaining fine chaff from the seeds.

Additional information

Weight0.007 lbs
Dimensions4.5 × 3.25 × .05 in

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