Sage is a hardy perennial with pretty, grayish green leaves that like as good in a perennial border as they do in a vegetable garden. It grows spikes of spring flowers in different colors, including purple, blue, white, and pink.
How do you identify sage?
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
The 2 to 3-inch long leaves are thick, opposite, oblong, and pointed. The stems are semi-woody and square. Color varies by cultivar, from grayish green, to variegated green and yellow, or green with purple and white. Spikes of purple flowers are produced on mature plants.
What sage is good for?
People commonly use sage for memory and thinking skills, high cholesterol, and symptoms of menopause. It is also used for pain after surgery, lung cancer, sore throat, sunburn, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Where is sage found?
Sage (Salvia officinalis ) is native to the Mediterranean and naturalized throughout Europe and North America. Known as garden sage, meadow sage, and true sage, this pungent herb is a member of the Lamiaceae, or mint, family.
What does sage look like fresh?
When buying fresh sage, use the same basic rules you’d use for any herbs: If it looks bright and fresh, with plump leaves and a vibrant color, then it’s going to taste bright and fresh. Avoid sage that has yellowed leaves or doesn’t stand up straight when you hold it up by the stem.
Is any sage poisonous?
Sage is considered safe with no reported side effects ( 46 ). However, some people are concerned about thujone, a compound found in common sage. Animal research has found that high doses of thujone may be toxic to the brain ( 47 ). That said, there is no good evidence that thujone is toxic to humans ( 48 ).
What was sage originally used for?
The ancient Greeks and Romans first used sage as a meat preservative. They also believe it could enhance memory (Rogers,2014). English herbalists believed that the state of sage in the garden determined how well a business would prosper.
What does burning sage in your house do?
Burning sage is is a powerful ritual
The ritual of sage burning has its roots in Native American tradition. Today, people burn sage and other holy herbs to cleanse a space or environment of negative energy, to generate wisdom and clarity, and to promote healing.
What does sage smell like?
There are many variations of sage. But ultimately, sage as a whole offers an earthy aroma with an herbaceous scent. Sometimes crisp and often with strong green notes and pairings, sage can come across strong to someone who has never smelled it before.
What are the benefits of burning sage in your home?
Burning sage, also known as smudging, involves burning sage leaves and letting the smoke purify the air in your home.
Benefits of burning sage are believe to include:
- Removing bacteria from the air.
- Repelling insects.
- Improving intuition.
- Purifying specific objects.
- Improving mood and reducing stress and anxiety.
What is a female sage called?
The male is called sage cock , and the female sage hen .
How much sage is toxic?
Drinking too much sage tea or consuming sage essential oils can have toxic effects. You should never consume essential oil of any kind, and limit yourself to 3-6 cups of sage tea per day to be safe.
Can you eat sage leaves?
Sage can be eaten whole or ground. Adding sage to a dish is a great way to enhance flavor without adding extra calories or salt. The herb often pairs well with poultry and pork. Sage is often used as a fragrance in soaps and cosmetics due to its pleasant aroma.
How long is sage good for?
Fresh sage leaves should keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. For dried sage, use an airtight container and store it in a cool, shady place away from direct sunlight. Dried sage can retain its flavor and aroma for at least 6 months and potentially as long as a year if it is stored appropriately.
Is sage better fresh or dried?
Dried sage is preferred over fresh by most cooks and comes in a whole leaf, rubbed, and ground form. Rubbed sage has a light, velvety texture, whereas ground sage is more of a free-flowing powder. As with all dried herbs, store any form of dried sage in a closed container in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
What part of sage do you use?
leaves
To cook with fresh sage, remove the leaves from the stems, rinse with cold water, and dry well. Cut according to the recipe instructions; sage leaves are often sliced into chiffonade, chopped, or minced. Dried rubbed sage and powdered sage can be measured out and simply added to the recipe.
Is sage poisonous to humans?
Sage may be unsafe when taken in high doses or for a long time. Some species of sage, including common sage (Salvia officinalis), contain a chemical called thujone. Too much thujone can cause seizures and damage the liver and nervous system.
What is sage used for cleansing?
Native Americans and other indigenous peoples have burned sage for centuries as part of a spiritual ritual to cleanse a person or space, and to promote healing and wisdom. It’s been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians and Romans to treat digestive issues, memory problems, and sore throats.
Is sage good for the skin?
Sage assists in improving acne, athlete’s foot and chapped skin, and relieving symptoms of eczema and psoriasis. Oil from the leaf is often added to face and body washes, deodorants and anti-fungal creams due to its astringent properties.
What does sage represent spiritually?
In Celtic lore, sage represented wisdom and immortality. Sage became a popular symbol of wisdom, believed to improve memory and grant wisdom. The very word sage means a wise man. There was also a superstition that sage thrived when all was going well, but would start to wilt when things were going badly.
Is sage sacred?
Sage, along with sweetgrass,red cedar and tobacco, is one of the four plants considered sacred by First Nations and Métis Peoples. Sage is used broadly for many purposes by both First Nations and Native Americans – and is described here in only the most general of terms.