Practical
Plants

Salvia carnosa

Purple Sage

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Salvia genus in the family Labiatae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Labiatae
Genus
Salvia
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
0.75 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - cooked. Ground into a powder and used to thicken soups etc or added to cereal flours when making bread etc[2].

Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A decoction of the seeds and stems is used to treat colds[8]. A decoction or infusion of the leaves has been used in the treatment of fevers, coughs, colds and stomach aches[7]. A poultice of the crushed leaves has been applied tot he chest to treat congestion[7]. A decoction of the leaves and stems can be drunk, used as a wash or as a steam bath in the treatment of headaches[7]. A decoction of the flowering stems has been used as a poultice and a wash to treat swollen leg veins[7]. The plant is much valued as a treatment for an epileptic or faint person, either administered as a drink or prepared like tobacco and the smoke blown into the patients face[5][7].

Product or use
Analgesic
Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Pectoral
Product or use
Stomachic

Environment

Range
South-western N. America.
Habitat
Dry slopes and flats, 1000 - 1500 metres in California[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow March/April in a greenhouse[4]. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer. In areas where the plant is towards the limits of its hardiness, it is best to grow the plants on in a greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood succeed at almost any time in the growing season[4].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position[4]. Prefers a rich soil[1]. Soils rich in nitrogen encourage excessive leaf growth at the expense of flowering[3]. Plants can be killed by excessive winter wet[4]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

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  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Whiting. A. F. Ethnobotany of the Hopi North Arizona Society of Science and Art 1939-00-00

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  6. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

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  7. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  8. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  9. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

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