Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Salvia officinalis, commonly called sage or common sage, is a perennial, evergreen subshrub of the mint family Lamiaceae with woody stems, grayish leaves and blue to purplish flowers, native to the Mediterranean region but naturalized in many places worldwide. The plant typically grows to about sixty centimeters, with oblong leaves as long as sixty five millimeters, and its distinctive grayish green foliage is the origin of the color name sage; modern cultivars also come in purple, rose, cream and variegated yellow leaf forms. Its species name officinalis marks it as a plant with an established culinary use or a folk-medicine reputation, and it was highly regarded for supposed healing properties throughout the Middle Ages. It remains a staple herb of British cooking alongside parsley, rosemary and thyme, and is prominent in Mediterranean, Italian and Balkan cuisines as well as ornamental gardens.