Honey bees
Nectar value
Low
Pollen value
Low
Pollinator plant
Sage
Salvia officinalis
Linked agroforestry plant data
Pollinator recipe
Bee value
Who this plant supports
Agroforestry database
Complete plant information
Structure
- Vegetation layer
- Shrub
- Size
- Small
- Dimensions
- 0.60 m high × 0.60 m wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
Site conditions
- USDA hardiness
- 5-10
- Moisture
- Well-drained, Moist
- Soil
- Sandy, Loamy
- pH
- Neutral, Alkaline
- Light
- Sun
Uses
- Edible parts
- Leaves, Flowers, Seasoning, Tea
- Functions
- Essential oil, Repellent, Ground cover, Fragrant
- Edibility
- 4 out of 5
- Medicinal value
- 5 out of 5
Leaves and flowers can be eaten both raw and cooked. This herb, with strongly aromatic leaves, is often used as a flavoring in cooked dishes. It helps with digestion and is therefore often combined with heavy, fatty foods. It gives a sausage-like flavor to savory dishes. The young leaves and flowers are suitable for raw consumption, cooking, pickling, or as an addition to sandwiches. The flowers can also be sprinkled over salads to add color and fragrance. An herbal tea made from fresh or dried leaves is said to promote digestion. An essential oil from this plant is commercially used to flavor ice cream, candy, pastries, and other products.