description
Salvia officinalis, commonly known as sage, is a member of
the Lamiaceae family.
This perennial, evergreen subshrub, produces
woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers.
Sage cultivars vary greatly in size, color of leaf and flower, as well as foliage pattern.
They can have many variegated leaf types.
The Old World
type of sage reaches approximately 2 feet (0.61 m) in height and width. Most commonly it boasts lavender
colored flowers, but they can also be white, pink, or purple. The
plant flowers in late spring or summer.
Sage leaves are oblong, ranging in
length and width up to 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Leaves are
grey-green colored, rugose (wrinkled; corrugated) on their top sides; and due to the existence of many short soft hairs, nearly white underneath.
Modern cultivars include leaves with color ranges of purple, rose,
cream, and yellow in many variegated combinations.
common names & nomenclature
The genus name salvia means “to save”. The specific epithet officinalis
refers to plants with a well-established value.
Also known as:
garden sage, common sage, golden sage, kitchen sage, true sage, culinary sage, dalmatian sage, broadleaf sage