Meadow sage , also known as wood sage , is a perennial herbaceous plant with blueish flowers belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Native to Europe and Asia , this aromatic plant is valued for its fragrant leaves and its culinary and medicinal uses.

Meadow sage is a beautiful perennial that can colonize flowerbeds , ditches and dry meadows or slopes with dry soils in sunny locations. Robust , vigorous , economical in water and resistant to cold , it will easily reach 60-75 cm in height. It is very resistant to drought and tolerates limestone quite well.

Meadow sage is distinguished by its narrow , serrated leaves, which release a powerful, aromatic fragrance when crushed. These leaves are often used as a condiment in cooking, adding a unique, herbaceous flavor to dishes such as soups , stews , and sauces .

In addition to its culinary uses, meadow sage is also valued for its medicinal properties . It is traditionally used in herbal medicine for its tonic , digestive and antiseptic properties. Infused in hot water , its leaves can be consumed as a herbal tea to relieve sore throats and digestive disorders .

Its fragrant flowers are edible and are a refuge for many butterflies , notably the Athalia Checkerspot ( Melitaea athalia ) and the Provençal Lemon ( Gonepteryx cleopatra ).

Its foliage is semi-evergreen . It flowers from May to August .

Successful sowing of meadow sage

Sowing : from March to May under cover, in a terrine on a fine, moist substrate , cover the seeds very lightly and keep at 18/20°C and moist. Emergence in 15-20 days .
Sowing possible from May to July for planting in the fall . Or in September-October for planting the following spring . For sowing directly in place in the spring , wait until the soil is well warmed.

Planting Meadow Sage

Transplant into pots after 4 to 6 weeks .
Planting after 6 to 8 weeks : when the plants reach 10 cm and 4 to 5 leaves , spacing 50 cm in all directions, in open ground, in May and June or in autumn .
Regular watering .