XClary Sage (Salvia sclarea)X
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Clary -or- Clary Sage -or- Muscatel Sage (Salvia sclarea), family Lamiaceae (Mint)
Thank you, Kris Rude, for contacting us about this plant and allowing us to share it on Wildflowers West. Clary is certainly a species of mixed messages. The USDA website shows that Clary (they use the common name Europe Sage) is classified as a noxious weed in the lower 48 states and Canada - particularly Washington state where actual quarantine regulations are in effect. On the flip side there are many records of positive qualities found in this plant. It has been mentioned as a health aid as far back as the 4th century. Per WIKIPEDIA, here are some of those positives: "Clary seeds have a thick gluey coat, which is why some old herbals recommended placing a seed into the eye of someone with a foreign object in it so that it could adhere to the object and make it easy to remove. This practice is noted by Nicholas Culpeper in his Complete Herbal (1653), who referred to the plant as "clear-eye". The distilled essential oil is used widely in perfumes and as a muscatel flavoring for vermouths, wines, and liqueurs. It is also used in aromatherapy for relieving anxiety and fear, menstrual-related problems such as PMS and cramping, and helping with insomnia. While some records indicate that Clary can give off a strong unpleasant odor from the leaves, Kris Rude described the flowers on his plant as having a beautiful smell, sweet and almost fruity.
It appears that this species will thrive and become a problem under prime growing conditions, otherwise enjoy it to the fullest. One gardener's review of Clary spoke of the delightful attraction the plants had for hummingbirds in her yard. Pollination is by bees.
USES: From the marvelous website Plants For A Future are these notes on Clary Sage: EDIBLE - Leaves - raw or cooked. A strong, warm, aromatic taste and odour. They are used mainly as a flavouring in cooked foods, they are similar to sage (S. officinalis). The leaves can be dipped in batter and cooked to make delicious fritters. Flowers - raw. A pleasant taste, they can be sprinkled on chopped salads, or made into a tea. The plant is sometimes used as a hop substitute in flavouring beer, imparting considerable bitterness and intoxicating properties - it either makes people dead drunk or insanely exhilarated. The leaves have also been used to adulterate wine and give it a muscatel flavour. MEDICINAL Clary has been perceived both as a weaker version of sage (Salvia officinalis) and also as a significant herb in its own right. An antispasmodic and aromatic plant, it is used mainly to treat digestive problems such as wind and indigestion. It is also regarded as a tonic, calming herb that helps relieve period pain and pre-menstrual problems. Owing to its oestrogen-stimulating action, it is most effective when levels of this hormone are low. The whole plant, and especially the leaves, is antispasmodic, appetizer, aromatic, astringent, balsamic, carminative, pectoral and tonic. It is useful in treating disorders of the stomach and kidneys and is a valuable remedy for complaints associated with the menopause, particularly hot flushing. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women. The leaves can be used fresh or dried, for drying they are harvested before the plant comes into flower. The seed forms a thick mucilage when it is soaked for a few minutes in water. This is efficacious in removing small particles of dust from the eyes. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is 'Euphoric'.
See the other MINT species - Creeping Charlie - Common Horehound - Beebalm - Britton's Skullcap - Hedgenettle - found at:
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Plant location: This specimen is from Cheyenne Wyoming and was blooming in early July 2014. While the USDA website does not show a verified botanical record of Clary Sage in Wyoming it should be noted that the plants are known to exist in four states adjacent to Wyoming. Not too surprising to find we have a traveler here. USDA records of location for Clary include: CO, CT, ID, KS, MA, MI, MO, MT, NC, OR, PA, UT, VA, WA.Plant -
Bloom season: The bloom season is variable based on location, early spring through summer. Seeds generally mature in September. Foliage -
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