Greek Sage

Salvia fruticosa

Lamiaceae - Mint Family

Common Name: Middle Eastern Sage

It is truly amazing that throughout history, covering thousands of years, information about herbs has been collected, protected, passed from generation to generation and is still available to us. One interesting example is mentioned in Plant Portraits from A to Z:

"Although first described in 1768, it [Salvia fruticosa] was certainly known to the Greeks well over three thousand years ago and has been identified in a fresco on Crete, painted in the second millennium before Christ."

Here is proof for the herbalist of the early existence of Salvia fruticosa - a gift from an artist!

The ancient Greeks cultivated Sage for its medicinal value. A proverb from the Middle Ages states, "Why should a man die if Sage flourishes in his garden?" From China comes the saying "Sage for old age." Gerard wrote that Sage was used for "quickening the senses and memory."

Our modern age finds Greek Sage effective for mental and physical exhaustion. An example is given by Richard Lucas in The Magic of Herbs in Daily Living. It seems that a 55-year-old businessman succumbed to stress and was unable to work. His doctor prescribed rest. He took a holiday and met a man who had previously suffered the same problem, but by drinking a small amount of sage tea with his meals had cured himself. The businessman did the same and in six months he was back at work.

Greek Sage is but one of 900 species of Salvia and its leaves have been substituted for Salvia officinal, the cooking sage. It is an evergreen shrub, growing up to 3 ft. in height.