Sage, Spice
Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a small subshrub in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean regions, and is one of the most used herb's in history. It is known by the common name Garden Sage, Common Sage, Kitchen sage, True sage, Culinary sage, Dalmatian sage, and Broadleaf sage. Sage plant is an attractive addition to both the herb garden and ornamental borders. Sage plant, 0.6 m tall and 0.4 m spread, is a perennial evergreen subshrub with woody stems, woolly grayish leaves and blue to purplish, camphor-scented flowers, borne in mid-summer. Harvest light on plant's first year. Once it is established, the leaves can be harvested any time, but they are considered best before or after blooming. The leaves can be use fresh or dried for future use. Frequent harvesting and pruning helps to reinvigoratesage plants. Pruning after flowering will keep the plant in shape and prevent it from becoming too woody and straggy. Sage, which has peppery flavor, is used in sauces and stuffings for fatty meat dishes and in salad. Sage grown in certain part of Europe is distilled for its essential oil. Apart from culinary use as a spice, sage is used to alleviate respiratory infection, nasal congestion, coughs, tonsillitis, indigestion and sore throats. Sage plant can be propagate by seed, root cutting and transplants, although seed is unreliable and slow to flower. Sage thrives in a warm, sunny location, and well-drained soil.  Sage Author: H.Zell (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported) | ||
|
