Sage: Advice and Boost Your Brain

Earthy and spicy

Source: jmheatherly.medium.com CULTIVARS CURRENTLY IN THE GARDEN:

• Garden Sage

• Pineapple Sage

Grow it!    Use it!    Learn the History. 

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Sage is an evergreen shrub from the Lamiaceae/mint family with over 900 varieties. Carl Linnaeus described this species in 1753, though sage was used in ceremony and medicine for centuries prior. Also, American sausage typically incorporates sage and nutmeg as prominent herbs.

We call wise people sages. The herb is chock full of antioxidants, and countless cultures used it to improve memory and brain function. Its roots can reach 39 inches long. It provides plenty of sugars, and honey made from its nectar tastes spicy.

HISTORY

Native to the Mediterranean and the Middle East, Sage has been used for food and medicine throughout history. Medicinally, sage has been used as a fertility treatment, to treat insomnia, wounds, women’s health, fevers, liver disease, epilepsy and many other ailments.

In modern times sage is used as a spice, as tea, for sore throats, memory loss, diabetes and high cholesterol. Some research is being done to determine if sage could be used to help mood and protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. 

GROW IT

Sage is a common garden herb that prefers full sun - but can tolerate some shade.

Wet soil will cause it to rot, so sage grows best in well-draining or sandy/rocky soil.

In zones 5-8, sage may be a perennial, dying back in the winter and reviving in the spring. In more southern zones, it may be an annual.

Nomenclature: Salvia officinalis Tastes: earthy, citrusy, piney, a hint of pepper Uses: meat rubs, ritual, folk medicine

Recipe: Sage Smudge

Bundle herbs and tie at the base. Wrap to top and back. Criss-cross tightly without crushing. Hang in a cool, dry place for at least a week to dry before lighting the end of your smudge bundle.

By JMHeatherly