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Common Name: Greek Sage

General Information

Salvia fruticosa is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 1.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe - C. and E. Mediterranean.

Habitat

Dry rocky hillsides[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position[]. Prefers a rich soil[]. Soils rich in nitrogen encourage excessive leaf growth at the expense of flowering[].
Plants are not very hardy outdoors in Britain, though they should succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country, but perhaps even there needing the protection of a south-facing wall. Plants can be killed by excessive winter wet[].
The flowers are very attractive to bees, providing a good source of nectar[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

The leaves are used as a spice or as an adulterant of sage (S. officinalis)[]. Somewhat inferior in quality to sage but it is easier to grow indoors[]. The leaves make up 50 - 95% of commercially dried sage leaves[].
A fragrant tea, called 'fascomiglia' is made by infusing the leaves[, ].

Medicinal

The leaves are antihydrotic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, cholagogue, depurative, expectorant, febrifuge, stimulant, tonic and vasodilator[, , , , , ]. They are used internally in the treatment of digestive and respiratory complaints, menstrual problems, infertility, nervous tension and depression[]. This remedy should not be prescribed to pregnant women[]. The leaves can be harvested as required and used fresh, or they can be harvested before the flowers open and dried or distilled for their essential oil[].

Other Uses

An essential oil obtained from the leaves is used to adulterate spike lavender oil (obtained from Lavandula latifolia)[].

Propagation

Seed - sow early to mid spring in a greenhouse[]. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer. In areas where the plant is towards the limits of its hardiness, it is best to grow the plants on in a greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood succeed at almost any time in the growing season[].