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Salvia sclarea
Also called Clary sage, European sage, Clary, Clear Eye, See Bright Sage, Salvia Romana
Salvia sclarea, clary sage, is a biennial or short-lived perennial herb from the Mediterranean and Central Asia, grown for its fragrant essential oil and as an ornamental with tall spikes of lilac or pink-tinged bracts. It needs full sun and well-drained soil.
Salvia sclarea, the clary or clary sage (clary deriving from Middle English clarie, from Anglo-Norman sclaree, from Late or Medieval Latin sclarēia meaning clear), is a biennial (short-lived) herbaceous perennial in the genus Salvia. It is native to the northern Mediterranean Basin and to some areas in north Africa and Central Asia. The plant has long been cultivated as an herb and is currently grown for its essential oil.
The distilled essential oil of Salvia sclarea is used widely in perfumes (most often as a supporting note) and as a muscatel-like flavoring for vermouths, wines, and liqueurs. The aroma is described as "fresh, herbal, tea, weedy, dry, sage, spicy". It is also used in aromatherapy.
Egyptian Sage · Mediterranean sage · White sage · Brown Sage · Santa Rosa Island sage · Buchanan's Sage · Guatemalan Leaf Sage · Candelabra Sage · Cayman sage · Fragrant sage · Blood sage · Chia
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Salvia sclarea by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
