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Red Sage
Salvia miltiorrhiza
Also known as danshen, dan shen, redroot sage, chinese sage, tan shen
In stock
Description
I have been growing red sage for several years now due to its reputation as a powerful adaptogen/tonic herb. Red sage, otherwise known as dan shen, is a popular Chinese remedy having been used for millennia.
You might think red sage is named for its flowers, but it got its common name for the color of her roots which are brilliant, blood red when alive and fresh. The roots are the primary medicine used from the red sage plant.
While medicine comes from its roots, red sage’s above ground appearance is striking. Red sage makes beautiful purple blossoms in classic sage style with whorls going up the flower stalk into spike. Each flower is like an open dragon’s mouth or perhaps parrot’s beak. However you describe it, the flowers are gorgeous. Established 2+ year old plant will make multiple flower stalks in good conditions, and a patch of red sage plants is lovely.
Unlike other sages, red sage’s leaves are not strongly fragrant. But the leaves, flower stalks and calyxs are covered with hairs as well as a resin and are somewhat sticky to the touch. Perhaps tacky is a more accurate description. Indeed neighboring weeds’ seeds are sometimes found stuck to the plant.
While we haven’t tried growing red sage outside of our garden fence yet, I suspect that while it is not strongly scented, the hairs and resins on this plant could help it be deer resistant. As far as gopher resistance, I wouldn’t count on it. The roots taste pretty good like something I could eat as food. There is a slight “medicinal” flavor but not strong like other roots that gophers don’t mess with. The flavor is a little like a carrot, more like a wild carrot, and not sweet, with a hint of parsley and anise. Of course these are just analogs, red sage roots has its own unique flavor!
At the time of writing our family haven’t used medicine from red sage yet, but we are making medicine from her roots this winter and will report back in the future with our experience. But don’t take it from us, red sage has a long established history of medicinal use in China and in modern times has garnered the attention of many scientists in recent years. Just search the web or pubmed for Salvia miltiorrhiza and you’ll find medical studies and papers both confirming and establishing numerous benefits.
Red sage root is an adaptogen most well known for protecting, strengthening and healing the heart, circulation and the cardiovascular system. It is also said to be antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, protects blood cells and vessels, protects liver cells and prevents pain of the central nervous system. While red sage is perhaps best known for helping with blood, heart and circulation, the list of said benefits goes on to include treating insomnia, traumatic injury, menstruation issues, abdominal masses, skin sores and more.
Red sage has a reputation among some herbalists of being a powerful herb in treating some symptoms or problems arising from covid 19. In fact I first took notice of red sage when our family had a bout of a covid 19 variant a few years back. After reading the late Stephen Buhner’s Covid 19 protocol I learned that red sage can help protect the spleen, lymph nodes and help with efficient lymph node production and drainage, is an anticoagulant specific to protecting cells from inflammatory damage and/or stopping clotting, treatment of inflammatory diseases, up regulate and protect ACE-2 expression, modulate cytokine responses and more. In fact Stephen Buhner considered Red Sage one of the most important herbs for treating a wide range of Covid 19 symptoms and problems. Sure enough Stephen Buhner also includes red sage as an important herb in his popular and effective Lyme disease protocol found in his book Healing Lyme.
While not yet as well known in western herbal medicine and modern (conventional) medicine, red sage, or dan shen, has historically been used in Chinese Medicine for millennia as a general tonic as well as both preventing and treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as well as circulatory issues.
As I mentioned above, I am only just beginning to get to know red sage as a plant and herbal medicine, but I am very excited to start including it in our family’s medicine chest due to its long standing reputation for healing and preventing serious problems.
I am so excited to share red sage seeds with you so that you can include this beautiful healing herb in your garden!
Details
Lifecycle: Perennial
Lifespan: Maximum lifespan is unknown to us at this moment
Hardiness zones: 6-9 (USDA)
Habitats: Clearings, sunny forest edges, grassy slopes, stream sides at high elevations in China & East Asia
Plant size: 1 ft wide x 2 ft tall
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: All soil types, but sandy or loamy soil preferred over heavy clay
Water: Moist or dry soil, regular moisture is preferred
Seeds per packet: 30+ seeds
Seed Starting
Sow red sage seeds in spring, covering with 1/8″ soil and don’t allow seeds to dry out until they sprout. I prefer to sow seeds in a flat or nursery pot and then divide after they have a few sets of leaves into their own nursery pots. I’ll grow them up the first season with extra care and then plant them in their final location in the fall or following spring.
Cultivation
Red sage is easy to grow and requires minimal care, other than weeding as necessary when the plant is small. Deadhead flowers for continuous flowers through the season before or after they make seeds, depending on your preference. For colder climates in zone 5/6 wait to prune the plant until spring to provide additional winter protection and consider deep mulching over winter.
Harvest
Harvest the bright red roots from 3+ year old plants in the winter to use for medicine. After severing the roots the root crown can be replanted to continue growing in the following season.
Propagation
Red sage is a clumping herb and older plants can be divided and potted up or re-planted. Cuttings can be rooted in the summer. I suspect red sage can be layered but I haven’t tried it yet.
Seed Saving
Harvest seed stalks when the flowers have withered and seed heads are dry. Thresh (crush) the seed heads, screen the seeds and winnow if cleaner seed is desired.
Additional information
Weight | 0.007 lbs |
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Dimensions | 4.5 × 3.25 × .05 in |
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