Common Name: Meadow Clary

General Information

Salvia pratensis is an erect, perennial plant with an unbranched stem; it can grow from 30 - 70cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, and may be sometimes cultivated[]. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe - Britain to Spain, east to eastern Russian Europe, Ukraine and Greece

Habitat

Dry meadows, forest glades, pine woods and roadsides[]. A rare native in Britain, growing in old grasslands over chalk and limestone[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Salvia pratensis is a very cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to around -25°c when fully dormant, so long as the soil is well-drained[, ].
An easily grown plant, it succeeds in a very well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position[]. Prefers a rich soil[]. Requires a good well-drained soil[].
Well suited to the wild garden, growing well in the summer meadow[]. Plants have stout stems and require little if any staking[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].
There are many named forms selected for their ornamental value[].

Edible Uses

The pungent, bitter flavoured herb has been used as a flavouring in beers and wines[]. It is also used as an adulterant of sage[, ].
The leaves are used as an ingredient in minestrella soup, a complex blend of wild vegetables eaten in northwest Tuscany, Italy[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

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[].