![]() ![]() The hybrids and cultivars have been developed for more refined garden tastes, and established plants can tolerate a watering every 2 to 4 weeks to keep them looking fresh. If you are growing straight species, use the drier side of these suggestions and give them a break from watering in July, August, and September. Once they are established (having doubled in size), you will need to ease back their watering to about once a month. When first establishing your sages, you will need to water them every 7 to 14 days throughout their first year or so, to keep their root ball slightly moist but not wet or soggy. In the garden, sages prefer full sun and good drainage, although hummingbird sage prefers partial to full shade. Just remember to not deadhead all of the dried flower stalks so the birds can eat their share of seed! While sages are very attractive to birds and insects, deer and rabbits fortunately find them unappealing the pungent odor of the leaves, which we and the birds and bees find so inviting, acts as a repellent to mammalian browsers. After the blossoms set seed, they are also a feast for seed-loving birds, such as goldfinches, quail, sparrows, juncos, and towhees. The flowers contain high-quality nectar and therefore are absolute magnets for hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. ![]() Sages bloom from late winter until late spring and into the summer, depending on the species. Sages are also a very important food source for California wildlife. ![]() Honey harvested from beehives situated near areas covered with white, black, or purple sage is particularly delicate and flavorful. The“rediscovery” of the health benefits of chia ( Salvia columbariae) seed has led to a recent resurgence in the popularity of incorporating this seed into a well-balanced diet. California’s native peoples have also made tea from sage leaves to cure illness and have toasted and ground seeds to make gruel. White sage ( Salvia apiana) has been quite important in indigenous Californians’ blessing and cleansing ceremonies. The mild hummingbird sage adds a delicate sweetness to food or drink recipes. Most people like to cook with either black sage ( Salvia mellifera) or Cleveland sage ( Salvia clevelandii). Each species has its own flavor profile, with some much stronger than others. ![]() The common culinary sage seen in grocery stores is the Mediterranean species, Salvia officinalis, but all of our California sages can be used in cooking as well. The scientific name of the sage genus, Salvia, is based on the Latinword meaning “to heal” or “to save.” Sages are treasured by cultures worldwide for their medicinal and culinary uses. Sages do very wel lin some of a garden’s most difficult areas, such as dry, sunny slopes or rocky, clay soil.Īll sage species are in the mint family ( Lamiaceae). The vast majority of sages thrive in full sun, but there is a species, the hummingbird sage ( Salvia spathacea), that will light up the shadiest section of your garden with beautiful hot pink flower spikes. Most sages tolerate clay soils very well, the exceptions being the desert species. They are found along our coasts, across our inland valleys, up into the Sierra Nevada foothills, and out into parts of our deserts. The silvers, grays, and greens of their foliage, plus the long-running show of flowers that come in a spectrum from white to pink to mauve to scarlet to purple to indigo to sky blue, make the California sages a must-have in your garden palette.Ĭalifornia sages are lovers of dry areas and thus thrive in low-water landscapes. These horticultural varieties range from 7-foot-tall shrubs to ground-hugging forms only a few inches high. Because several of our California species will naturally hybridize, horticulturalists have used this reproductive malleability to create dozens of cultivars and hybrids for garden use. California is home to 17 of the world’s 800-plus sage species. How do you choose which sage is best for your garden? The following is a quick primer on the sages of California. If you have visited any nurseries, you have also noticed the wide variety of sages on the display tables-so many, in fact, that it can be overwhelming. If you have been on any of our CNPS native garden tours or have hiked through our local hills, mesas, or valleys, you have no doubt seen (and smelled) California’s magnificent blooming sages. By Teresa Everett, California Native Plant Garden Educator ![]()
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