(Salvia apiana 'White')
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White Sage is a native tender, aromatic, evergreen perennial shrub that is commonly found growing on dry slopes below 5,000 ft. throughout California and Northwest Mexico. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 3-4' and features a woody branching shrub that has silvery blue foliage and white/lavender flowers. This plant attracts bees, butterflies, and provides bird forage, is aromatic, tolerates drought and light frost, and is both edible and medicinal!
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Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Salvia
Species: apiana
Variety: White Sage
Native to: California, Northwest Mexico.
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Perennial/Annual
Maturity: June
Hardiness: Half Hardy. Sage is a hardy plant and can take cold temperatures but does not do very well in extremely cold climates.
Crops: Spring Transplant, Spring
Growing Season: Long
Growing Conditions: Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot. Sage originated in the Mediterranean and prefers mild winters and warm summers. It must have well drained soil in order to do well.
Outdoor Growing Temp: 55°F - 90°F
Min Outdoor Soil Temp: 45°F. Don't plant outdoors in Spring until danger of frost has passed and soil is at least 45˚F.
Start Indoors: Yes
Start Outdoors: Yes
Light: Full sun to part shade: min. 6 hours daily (Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot). This Mediterranean herb loves full sun, though in very hot climates it will also grow in partial shade.
Water: Medium. Sage is a very drought tolerant plant and is probably more often harmed by too much water, rather than too little. In very dry areas it will be more productive if watered occasionally.
Feeder: Light. Sage will grow in any well-drained soil, it doesn't need to be very fertile.
Suitability: Drought tolerant, Tolerates light frost, High heat
Small Gardens?: Yes
Containers?: Yes. Sage is an excellent candidate for container growing. Choose a pot that is a minimum of 8" deep and 8" in diameter. Make sure that there is at least one drainage hole in your container. Fill with coarse or loamy mineral-rich soils that drain easily and provide excellent aeration.. Water thoroughly and place in a sunny location. Water again when the soil gets dry.
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes
Maintenance: Medium
Height: 3-4'
Sowing Depth: Just below the surface.
Spacing: 18"-24"
Produces: a woody branching shrub that has silvery blue foliage and white/lavender flowers.
USDA Grow Zone: 1-6 Annual
7-12 Perennial
Garden Uses: Mix with perennials in borders or rock gardens. Excellent in herb or vegetable gardens.
Genus: Salvia
Species: apiana
Variety: White Sage
Native to: California, Northwest Mexico.
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Perennial/Annual
Maturity: June
Hardiness: Half Hardy. Sage is a hardy plant and can take cold temperatures but does not do very well in extremely cold climates.
Crops: Spring Transplant, Spring
Growing Season: Long
Growing Conditions: Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot. Sage originated in the Mediterranean and prefers mild winters and warm summers. It must have well drained soil in order to do well.
Outdoor Growing Temp: 55°F - 90°F
Min Outdoor Soil Temp: 45°F. Don't plant outdoors in Spring until danger of frost has passed and soil is at least 45˚F.
Start Indoors: Yes
Start Outdoors: Yes
Light: Full sun to part shade: min. 6 hours daily (Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot). This Mediterranean herb loves full sun, though in very hot climates it will also grow in partial shade.
Water: Medium. Sage is a very drought tolerant plant and is probably more often harmed by too much water, rather than too little. In very dry areas it will be more productive if watered occasionally.
Feeder: Light. Sage will grow in any well-drained soil, it doesn't need to be very fertile.
Suitability: Drought tolerant, Tolerates light frost, High heat
Small Gardens?: Yes
Containers?: Yes. Sage is an excellent candidate for container growing. Choose a pot that is a minimum of 8" deep and 8" in diameter. Make sure that there is at least one drainage hole in your container. Fill with coarse or loamy mineral-rich soils that drain easily and provide excellent aeration.. Water thoroughly and place in a sunny location. Water again when the soil gets dry.
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes
Maintenance: Medium
Height: 3-4'
Sowing Depth: Just below the surface.
Spacing: 18"-24"
Produces: a woody branching shrub that has silvery blue foliage and white/lavender flowers.
USDA Grow Zone: 1-6 Annual
7-12 Perennial
Garden Uses: Mix with perennials in borders or rock gardens. Excellent in herb or vegetable gardens.
Soil Preparation
Soil Preference:
Soil pH: 5.6-7.8, Ideal 6.0-6.5. Sage will grow in any well-drained garden soil, but prefers a light, slightly alkaline soil. If the soil will not drain then grow it in a raised bed.
Soil pH: 5.6-7.8, Ideal 6.0-6.5. Sage will grow in any well-drained garden soil, but prefers a light, slightly alkaline soil. If the soil will not drain then grow it in a raised bed.
Starting Indoors
Seed Sowing Depth: 0.25". Sow the seeds 1" apart and 1/4" deep, in well drained soil.
Soil temp for germination: 55°F to 85°F, optimal 65°F to 75°F, optimal 75°F
Total weeks to grow transplant: 2 to 4 (Spring/Summer), 10 to 16 (Fall/Winter)
Soil temp for germination: 55°F to 85°F, optimal 65°F to 75°F, optimal 75°F
Total weeks to grow transplant: 2 to 4 (Spring/Summer), 10 to 16 (Fall/Winter)
Transplanting Outdoors
When: Seedlings can be planted out 6 weeks after the last frost date, when the weather has warmed up to at least 60 to 65˚ F.
How: Dig a hole 4 to 6" deep (depending on the container size). Gently squeeze the sides of the container to release the soil. Remove the plant and soil from the container and place into hole. Surround with additional soil, but don't bury the base of the plant. Give a good watering.
Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot: Sage originated in the Mediterranean and prefers mild winters and warm summers. It must have well drained soil in order to do well.
When outdoor temp: 55°F to 90°F, optimal temp 65°F to 75°F.
When min soil temp: 45°F. Don't plant outdoors in Spring until danger of frost has passed and soil is at least 45˚F.
Spacing: 18"-24". When mature plants get woody, you can separate the roots to thin the plant out and encourage new growth.
How: Dig a hole 4 to 6" deep (depending on the container size). Gently squeeze the sides of the container to release the soil. Remove the plant and soil from the container and place into hole. Surround with additional soil, but don't bury the base of the plant. Give a good watering.
Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot: Sage originated in the Mediterranean and prefers mild winters and warm summers. It must have well drained soil in order to do well.
When outdoor temp: 55°F to 90°F, optimal temp 65°F to 75°F.
When min soil temp: 45°F. Don't plant outdoors in Spring until danger of frost has passed and soil is at least 45˚F.
Spacing: 18"-24". When mature plants get woody, you can separate the roots to thin the plant out and encourage new growth.
Starting Outdoors
You can sow the seed outside in late spring. Sow the seed 1" apart (or broadcast) and 1/4" deep. Keep seeds moist until established. Once they are growing well, thin or transplant them to give the plants more space (and a final spacing of 18 to 24" apart).
When Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot: Sage originated in the Mediterranean and prefers mild winters and warm summers. It must have well drained soil in order to do well.
When outdoor temp: 55°F to 90°F, optimal temp 65°F to 75°F.
When min soil temp: 45°F. Don't plant outdoors in Spring until danger of frost has passed and soil is at least 45˚F.
Seed Depth: 0.25". Sow the seeds 1" apart and 1/4" deep, in well drained soil.
Spacing: 18"-24". When mature plants get woody, you can separate the roots to thin the plant out and encourage new growth.
When Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot: Sage originated in the Mediterranean and prefers mild winters and warm summers. It must have well drained soil in order to do well.
When outdoor temp: 55°F to 90°F, optimal temp 65°F to 75°F.
When min soil temp: 45°F. Don't plant outdoors in Spring until danger of frost has passed and soil is at least 45˚F.
Seed Depth: 0.25". Sow the seeds 1" apart and 1/4" deep, in well drained soil.
Spacing: 18"-24". When mature plants get woody, you can separate the roots to thin the plant out and encourage new growth.
Water Needs: Low. Sage is a very drought tolerant plant and is probably more often harmed by too much water, rather than too little. In very dry areas it will be more productive if watered occasionally.
Fertilizer Needs: Light. Sage will grow in any well-drained soil, it doesn't need to be very fertile.
Watering: Water, 1 cup per plant, every 2 weeks. Water when soil is dry, especially in the summertime. If gardening in containers, check the soil more regularly, at least once a week.
Pruning: every 4 weeks. Remove the flower stalks as they appear (unless you want seed or enjoy the blooms) as this diverts energy from vegetative growth. If a plant start to get woody after 2 or 3 years, cut it back hard, to encourage tender new growth. If a plant gets very woody dig it up, divide it, and replant the most vigorous parts (or just take cuttings from it).
Side Dressing: Compost tea, 1 cup per plant, 1 time. If you need a lot of Sage you could give your plants a cup of fertilizer occasionally to encourage greater leaf production. Generally you don't need that much though.
Crop Care First year:
Sage is a tough and drought tolerant plant and once established it doesn't need much attention. It normally lasts for 4 or 5 years, though tends to get woody with age.
Sage doesn’t like very cold weather and may not survive the winter outdoors in very cold climates. In which case it could be potted up and brought inside for winter use (or kept dormant in a cool garage).
Fertilizer Needs: Light. Sage will grow in any well-drained soil, it doesn't need to be very fertile.
Watering: Water, 1 cup per plant, every 2 weeks. Water when soil is dry, especially in the summertime. If gardening in containers, check the soil more regularly, at least once a week.
Pruning: every 4 weeks. Remove the flower stalks as they appear (unless you want seed or enjoy the blooms) as this diverts energy from vegetative growth. If a plant start to get woody after 2 or 3 years, cut it back hard, to encourage tender new growth. If a plant gets very woody dig it up, divide it, and replant the most vigorous parts (or just take cuttings from it).
Side Dressing: Compost tea, 1 cup per plant, 1 time. If you need a lot of Sage you could give your plants a cup of fertilizer occasionally to encourage greater leaf production. Generally you don't need that much though.
Crop Care First year:
Sage is a tough and drought tolerant plant and once established it doesn't need much attention. It normally lasts for 4 or 5 years, though tends to get woody with age.
Sage doesn’t like very cold weather and may not survive the winter outdoors in very cold climates. In which case it could be potted up and brought inside for winter use (or kept dormant in a cool garage).
Harvesting
Ripening:
Harvest leaves when the plant is large enough, making sure you harvest before the plant flowers. You shouldn't harvest very much in the first year, to allow the plant to grow.
Harvest leaves when the plant is large enough, making sure you harvest before the plant flowers. You shouldn't harvest very much in the first year, to allow the plant to grow.
Storage
Sage is best used fresh, but it is also good dried. Pick whole branches just before they flower and dry them indoors (they dry well). Hang in bunches or lay out on a screen and dry. Store in air tight containers.
Storage Req: Drying
Storage Temp: 55-70°F
Storage Length: 1-180 days
Storage Req: Drying
Storage Temp: 55-70°F
Storage Length: 1-180 days
Sage is very attractive to bees and produces seed quite readily (the flowers are hermaphrodite, containing both male and female parts), but normally you remove the flowers before they do so (to prevent them wasting energy). If you want seed just leave them to it and make sure you collect the small seed capsules before they fall.
Seed Viability in Years: 3 - 5 years
Seed Viability in Years: 3 - 5 years
Culinary
Taste:
Rich, bold distinct flavor, great for savory dishes.
Culinary Use:
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.
Leaves: The leaves are used in cooking. They can be used as a flavoring in seed mushes.
Stem tops: The young stalks can be eaten raw. Ripe stem tops can be peeled and eaten raw.
Rich, bold distinct flavor, great for savory dishes.
Culinary Use:
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.
Leaves: The leaves are used in cooking. They can be used as a flavoring 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. The seeds have been used as eye cleaners. No more information is given here, but in other instances the seed has been placed in the eye, it then forms a gelatinous covering to which any foreign matter in the eye adheres. The seed is washed out of the eye by the eyes own tears.
Project Purity Seeds can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Companion Planting
Eriogonum fasciculatum, California Buckwheat; Salvia mellifera, Black sage; Hollyleaf Cherry, Prunus ilicifolia; Rhus ovata, Sugar Bush; Rhus integrifolia, Lemonade Berry,; and Artemisia californica, California Sagebrush.
Problems
Diseases such as rust, damping off, and powdery mildew can be a problem with White Sage.
The leaves have been crushed in water and used as a hair shampoo, dye and hair straightener. 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.