Friday's Herbal

And it is Friday!  This week's herb is Sage, the culinary variety. Another plant we know as sage is the kind used in ceremony and ritual, artemisia. We'll cover that another day:)

Common name: Sage
Latin: Salvia officinalis

Garden, or culinary, sage is a hardy perennial, native to the northern Mediterranean coast.  It’s a woody shrub with grayish green or green and white leaves, and is evergreen in some areas (mine stayed green all winter, when I could find it under the snow!)   The leaves have a characteristically bumpy texture, which may account for its association with toads. The small, tubular flowers come as whorls on tall stalks; they can be pink, purple, white, or blue. Sage blooms from May to August. With some herbs, mostly annuals, you want to pinch off the blossoms so the plant doesn’t go to seed; with sage this isn’t a concern, and the flowers add desired visual interest in the garden.

Sage is best started from divisions or rooted cuttings. Take divisions from the new outer growth. Plant sage with cabbage, carrots, strawberries, tomatoes, or marjoram to encourage growth of those plants. Sage and onions don’t like each other.Give your sage a sunny spot in the garden; a little shade is fine. It is drought tolerant after being established in the garden, and likes a slightly alkaline soil.  Large plants can be cut back a little in the summer to encourage new growth and to make a bushier plant. Don’t cut your sage back too late in the season, or too far into the woody growth or it will inhibit the plant’s ability to withstand the winter. Folk belief says to cut the plant back on Good Friday, before dawn, to encourage the best growth through the season.

 This is a huge sage plant in the neighborhood!

Sage has long been associated with immortality, and has a long list of cures attributed to it, among those being for epilepsy, insomnia, measles, seasickness, worms, and, going back to the knubby leaves, warts. Traditionally, cures were often associated with herbs according to their appearance. Hence, because of the bumps on the leaves they must be good for warts.

The volatile oils and tannins in the plant are said to dry up perspiration and are antiseptic and astringent. A sage tea is useful for sore throats, mouth sores, cuts and bruises. It may also lower blood sugar in diabetics. Sage tea is purported to be useful in treating colds and flu symptoms. Sage is shown to regulate hormones, making it helpful during menopause and for heavy periods. It also reduces the flow of milk for mothers who are ready to wean their babies. As with any herb, pregnant women should exercise great care in using sage.

Cosmetic uses include using an infusion of the leaves to color silver hair. Be warned, however! If you are not consistent in applications, your hair may take on a greenish tint! Sage tea helps to freshen the breath and its antiseptic qualities make it good for mouth sores and promoting gum health. A single leaf makes a great emergency toothbrush – you get brush and dentifrice all in one!

An infusion of sage along with cider vinegar is an effective astringent lotion and relieves sunburn. Keep this concoction in the refrigerator. Sage is helpful for oily skin and large pores. A soothing aftershave is made my mixing sage with lavender, and making a tea.

 This is my sage; it's only as big as the hyacinth!

The aromatic properties make sage useful in perfumes and soaps. It is also an effective insect repellent. In the garden it wards off cabbage moths, but attracts bees. In the house, sage leaves are supposed to discourage mice. A garden spray can be made from a sage tea. Spray your plants to keep away pests.

The most popular use of sage is as a culinary herb, although it doesn’t often get its rightful place at the table. We tend to think of sage as that powdery, musty herb that goes in the turkey stuffing. It is so much better used fresh. The taste of the dried herb is stronger, but quite different. The fresh sage is brighter, more lemony, minty, and complex.

One of my favorite ways to use sage is on a white pizza, with nothing but some good olive oil and fresh mozzarella cheese. This is especially good as little pizzas cooked on the grill. Another treat is to dip the fresh leaves in the same batter as you would tender zucchini blossoms, and fry in olive oil. Sage tea makes a wonderful digestive aid; the addition of sage in the turkey stuffing aids in the digestion of fatty foods. Other ways to use sage in the kitchen include adding the young leaves to salads or to scrambled eggs. Pinch the new young leaves from the tops of the plant.

Interesting lore concerning the sage plant involves a 15th century Catholic custom of picking three sage leaves before sunrise. Write a prayer on each leaf, read these aloud, and then recite five Our Fathers and five Ave Marias. This was used to fight off fevers. I find it to be a very interesting mix of country magic with Christian religion. The source I read (Essential Herbal Wisdom – Nancy Arrowsmith) doesn’t mention if you are supposed to then eat the leaves. I imagine that is where the true healing power comes from. So much of traditional wisdom is a mix of magic and science.

Sources:
Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs
Essential Herbal Wisdom – Nancy Arrowsmith

Happy May Day tomorrow!  See you on Monday:)