Common Name:

General Information

Salvia japonica is an erect perennial plant with usually branched stems; it can grow up to 75cm tall[]
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - Japan, Korea, southeast China

Habitat

Woods and thickets in hills and mountains, C. and S. Japan[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.75 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Salvia japonica is not a very cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to around -5°c to -8°c when fully dormant. Plants can be killed by excessive winter wet[].
Requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position[]. Prefers a rich soil[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

Children suck the flowers (for the sweet nectar?)[, ].

The leaves are used as a flavouring, they are a sage substitute[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A black dye is obtained from the plant, probably from the flowers[].

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[].