Common Name: White Sage

General Information

Salvia apiana is a coarsely-branched, perennial plant with stems that can become more or less woody, especially near the base; it usually grows around 90 - 150cm tall and 120cm wide[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is harvested from the wild on a commercial basis for its leaves, which are used medicinally and to make traditional smudging sticks, and there are concerns regarding over-exploitation[]. It is grown in gardens as a beautiful low maintenance ornamental plant[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

South-western N. America - California, Baja California.

Habitat

Dry benches and slopes; at elevations up to 1,500 metres[].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Salvia apiana is not very cold-hardy, tolerating short periods with temperatures falling to around -5 and -10°c[]. In well-drained soils and semi-arid climates it can tolerate -20°c in winter[].
Requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position[]. Prefers a rich soil[]. Plants grow best in a dry climate and can be killed by excessive winter wet[, ]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
The seed is sold in health food shops for its use in making a drink[].
The leaves are very fragrant, especially on a hot day[].
Salvia apiana hybridizes freely with several other Salvia species in the wild[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[]. It can be ground into a powder and used as a mush[, , ]. The seed has been mixed with cereals such as oats or wheat, toasted then ground into a fine powder and eaten dry[]. The seed can also be soaked overnight and used as a drink in water or fruit juice or eaten with cereals[, ]. The seed is also used as a spice[].

The leaves are used in cooking[]. They can be used as a flavouring in seed mushes[].

Stem tops[, , ]. The young stalks can be eaten raw[]. Ripe stem tops can be peeled and eaten raw[].

Medicinal

An infusion of the leaves is used as a blood tonic and as a treatment for coughs and colds[, ]. The leaves can be eaten, or used as a sweat bath, in the treatment of colds[].
Sage tea will decrease sweating, salivation, milk secretions, and mucous secretions of the sinuses, throat, and lungs. It is the best herbal treatment for decreasing lactation during weaning in either animals or humans. A cold cup of the tea is a good stomach tonic. The lukewarm tea is sufficiently bacteriostatic and astringent to make it useful for treating nearly all sore throats, first gargled and then drunk. The crushed leaves are made into a reliable uterine hemostatic tea, good for treating heavy menstruation but inadvisable for the new mother who plans to nurse[].

The seeds have been used to clean and heal the eyes[, ]. One method is to place a few seeds in the eyes at bedtime. During the night, the seeds swell and become gelatinous. Moving around under the eyelids during sleep, the seeds collect any foreign substances on the eyeballs. The seeds are often removed naturally by the eyes own tears, otherwise they are removed in the morning, leaving the eyes clear and free of contaminants[].

An nfusion of the roots is drunk after giving birth in order to remove the afterbirth and promote internal healing[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are a good source of nectar for bees[].

Other Uses

The leaves have been crushed in water and used as a hair shampoo, dye and hair straightener[]. It is said to prevent the hair turning grey[].

A poultice of the freshly crushed leaves can be applied to the armpits to treat body odours[].

The leaves have been burnt as an incense to fumigate a house after a case of contagious disease such as measles[].

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[]. Best taken in the spring[]. Collect cuttings 7 - 10cm long, and remove the lowest pair of leaves. Dipping the basal portion of the cutting in rooting hormones enhances rooting. Plants will root quickly if they are going to survive. If the cutting material is too hard, rooting may take a long time, or cuttings won't ever root. If the cutting material is too soft, it will rot[].