Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Flowers: July to September. Height: 60cm (24in).
Thought to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans. The name Salvia comes from the Latin salvere meaning ‘to heal’ and its strong aroma made it popular as a strewing herb.
Medicinal: Sage was known as a ‘cure-all’ and valued for centuries in this country for its antibacterial properties. It had many medicinal uses including for coughs, colds, night sweats, digestive problems, antiseptic, toothache, leprosy and worms. Richard Banckes’s Herball (1525) stated “It will make a man’s body clean….it is a marvel that any inconvenience should grieve them that use it”. Also known as a tonic, it was thought to help calm the nerves.
Culinary: For stuffing duck and goose, pottage dishes, to flavour sausages and cheese, and highly valued in former times for making sage-beer and sage tea.
Magic & Myth: Known as a sacred herb, many believed in the magic power of sage to protect people against evil. For centuries witches crushed sage into a special bowl, burned it, and the smoke would surround the person or fill the area needing cleansing of negative energy. Later, these herbs were bundled together into sticks, known as smudge sticks, and burned, a custom that exists to this day.
