Common Name: Clary Sage

General Information

Salvia sclarea is an erect, unbranched biennial to a short-lived, perennial plant that can grow from 20 - 120cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It has at times been grown quite commonly as a medicinal herb, for its essential oil and as a flavouring for food, but is little cultivated at present. It is often grown as an ornamental in gardens[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Mediterranean region, though absent from much of northern Africa, extending east to Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and the Himalayas

Habitat

Rocky igneous slopes, mixed deciduous and coniferous woodland, shale banks and roadsides to 2000 metres in Turkey[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Biennial/Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Salvia sclarea is a moderately cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -20°c when fully dormant[].
Requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position[]. Thrives on any ground that is not too wet[]. Plants can be killed by excessive winter wet[].
The flowers can be air-dried and used as everlasting flowers[].
A very ornamental plant, it is strongly aromatic and is cultivated in many regions of the world for its essential oil, there are some named varieties[, ].
Salvia sclarea has a higher content of essential oil than other sage species and has long been in cultivation for oil extraction. There are considerable differences in the oil yield of plants from different geographic locations, with yields of from 0.2% - 0.29% being recorded from central Asia[].
Crops grown in Britain, Morocco and France are considered superior for perfumery[].
When bruised, the leaves release a deliciously pungent and refreshing smell of fresh grapefruit[].
The flowers are very attractive to bees[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked. A strong, warm, aromatic taste and odour[]. They are used mainly as a flavouring in cooked foods[, , , ], they are similar to sage (S. officinalis)[]. The leaves can be dipped in batter and cooked to make delicious fritters[, ].

Flowers - raw. A pleasant taste, they can be sprinkled on chopped salads[, ], or made into a tea[].

The plant is sometimes used as a hop substitute in flavouring beer, imparting considerable bitterness and intoxicating properties[] - it either makes people dead drunk or insanely exhilarated[]. The leaves have also been used to adulterate wine and give it a muscatel flavour[].

Medicinal

Clary has been perceived both as a weaker version of sage (Salvia officinalis) and also as a significant herb in its own right[]. An antispasmodic and aromatic plant, it is used mainly to treat digestive problems such as wind and indigestion[]. It is also regarded as a tonic, calming herb that helps relieve period pain and pre-menstrual problems. Owing to its oestrogen-stimulating action, it is most effective when levels of this hormone are low[].
The whole plant, and especially the leaves, is antispasmodic, appetizer, aromatic, astringent, balsamic, carminative, pectoral and tonic[]. It is useful in treating disorders of the stomach and kidneys and is a valuable remedy for complaints associated with the menopause, particularly hot flushing[, ]. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women[]. The leaves can be used fresh or dried, for drying they are harvested before the plant comes into flower[].
The seed forms a thick mucilage when it is soaked for a few minutes in water. This is efficacious in removing small particles of dust from the eyes[, ].
The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. It is preferred over sage (Salvia officinalis) due to its lower toxicity level[]. Its keyword is 'Euphoric'[].

Other Uses

An essential oil is obtained from the flowering stems. Called 'Muscatel oil', it has an ambergris aroma and is used in soaps, cosmetics, as a fixative in perfumery etc[, , , , ]. The main constituents of the oil are Linalool,, Linalyl Acetate, Alpha Terpineol, Germacrene D and Geranyl Acetate[]. Yields of 5 tonnes per hectare of plant material can be obtained from 2 year old plants - in France it takes about 800kg of plant material to produce 1kg of essential oil[].

The oil expressed from the seeds is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an emollient[].
An extract of the flowers, leaves and stems is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].
An extract of the plant is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an antiseborrhoeic, astringent, skin conditioner and soothing agent[].

A drying oil is obtained from the seed, it is used in varnishes, paints etc[].

Propagation

Seed - can be sown in situ during spring[]. Alternatively seed can be sown in mid summer to early autumn to overwinter, it will then produce larger plants Thinnings can be transplanted[]. The seed remains viable for 3 years[].