What is THAT? White Sage (Salvia apiana)

Like its common name indicates, white sage (Salvia apiana) is a member of the sages – the genus Salvia. But it also falls under the broader Family Lamiaceae, which encompasses mints, rosemary, lavender, basil and others. Crushed leaves are pleasantly aromatic, one of my favorites. Hikers sometimes put a leaf under pack straps to give off an odor while on a long hike.

White sage is considered a subshrub – it doesn’t develop a woody trunk, and grows to a little over 3 feet tall. Its leaves are lanceolate, meaning shaped like the head of a spear; a long, pointed oval. The leaves are densely covered in short white hairs, which make them appear pale green to whitish.

Flowers are whitish to purple, and occur in clusters, known as an inflorescence, which rise on shoots above the leafy parts of the plants – a common feature in this family of plants. I don’t have a photo of flowering plants, but a Google search will produce a variety of shots.

Common in both the Coastal Sage Scrub, and Chaparral plant communities, this sage is common throughout the county. You’ll find it on dry slopes, probably south-facing, often along trail in open areas, away from overhanging shrubs. Even in Cuyamaca, in the oak and pine-dominated forest, the occasional steep, south-facing hillside will have white sage, yucca, and chamise interspersed with manzanita – a miniature chaparral community.

California natives used the white sage for a variety of culinary, medicinal and spiritual purposes. Like its family members above, it was used as a flavoring in cooking, its seed were ground for mush. Teas, both cold and warm were used to treat a variety of minor conditions like congestion, sore throat, and settle the stomach. Leaves were dried and smoked, and also tied into smudge sticks and burned to drive out evil spirits, which is a popular practice in modern America as well – both in and outside of the Native communities.

Once you see it, crush some leaves in your fingers, and smell the rich, spicy aroma, see the stalks of the inflorescence rising above the pale, leafy body of the plant, once you familiarize yourself with the white sage, you will begin to notice it all around and appreciate it as one of California’s signature plants.