07 – Salvia officinalis

It is a shrub between 20 and 70 cm high. Its main stems are woody which grow herbaceous secondary stems that are renewed each year. The leaves are oval-lanceolate, glaucous-green (bluish-green), velvety, with toothed margins. The inflorescences (set of flowers) are raceme-shaped and showy lilac-coloured. The fruit is a tetraquenium (a type of dry fruit that divides into four mericarps and produces four seeds). The flowering season begins in spring and lasts until summer. The fruits ripen from August to September.

It is a medicinal plant that has traditionally been used to reduce sweating, lighten stomach aches, whiten teeth, stop hair loss and aid digestion.

The name ‘Sage’ comes from the combination of the Latin word salvare (healing) and the epithet ‘officinalis’ (medicinal), which is applied to this and many other species, which have long been considered medicinal. During the Middle Ages in Europe, sage was believed to have the power to prolong life and, in some regions, was thought to help prevent death. This belief was reflected in popular sayings such as: ‘Why does a man die when sage grows in his garden’ (Cur moriatur homo, cui salvia crescit in horto?).