Clary Sage (Redwood Seeds Strain)

Salvia sclarea

Origin: Mediterranean (via California)

Improvement status: Unknown

Seeds per packet: ~30

Germination tested 11/2024: 97%

Life cycle: Biennial or Short-lived Perennial

Clary Sage is a biennial or sometimes short-lived perennial flower grown for its medicinal properties and as a pollinator attractor. Bees love it. The essential oil derived from the plant is commonly used in aromatherapy and as a flavoring for wines and liqueurs. The name likely derived from its former name, "clear-eye," so-given for its former use: the moistened seeds have a mucilaginous coat (like its cousins chia and basil) which can apparently adhere to foreign objects in the eye making them much easier to remove! This plant will self-seed in your garden if you let it.

We got the seeds of this strain from our friends at Wild Garden Seeds, who say this about it: "A true biennial growing large rosettes of furry grey-green leaves its first year, followed by an impressive flowering stem 3-4’ tall in the second year. The powerful aromatic oils are found entirely in the flowering parts, leaves lacking any smell at all. Grown in large quantities for perfumery and medical use, or along walls and borders for a strong sensory impact. The fragrance has been compared to ambergris, and the stature and large floral presence have a personality that feels like an animal being. This particular strain comes from Redwood Seeds, and it is an outstanding one with large white-lilac-pink bracts outlined in sharp pink edges, surrounding light blue flowers."