Herb: Apple Sage


Latin name: Salvia pomifera


Family: Labiatae



Medicinal use of Apple Sage:

An infusion of the dried leaves is used medicinally in Greece. The report does not give any details as to the uses, but does say that in excess the tea causes profuse perspiration, languor and even faintness. The leaves are said to have the same properties as common sage (S. officinalis), but to be stronger in their action. These properties are antihydrotic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, cholagogue, galactofuge, stimulant, tonic and vasodilator.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
May to
July

Habitat of the herb:

Rocky slopes, limestone cliffs and macchie from sea level to 800 metres in Turkey.

Edible parts of Apple Sage:

The leaves have a strong odour and flavour, resembling lavender and common sage. They are used as an adulterant of sage as a commercial food flavouring. An infusion of the herb is used to make a tea. Very fragrant, it is called "fascomiglia". Semi-transparent galls are formed on the plant as a result of gall wasps invading the young branches. These galls are made into a kind of conserve or sweetmeat by crystallizing them in sugar and this is regarded as a great delicacy by the Greeks. They have an agreeable and astringent flavour. We are not sure if the galls are used before or after the insect has departed.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow March/April in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer. In areas where the plant is towards the limits of its hardiness, it is best to grow the plants on in a greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood succeed at almost any time in the growing season.

Cultivation of Apple Sage:

Rocky slopes, limestone cliffs and macchie from sea level to 800 metres in Turkey.

Known hazards of Salvia pomifera:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.