Characteristics
- Scientific name: Salvia pratensis
- Family: Lamiaceae (Lamiaceae)
- Synonym: wild sage, summer sage
- Occurrence: Europe, Caucasus, North America
- Growth type: perennial
- Growth height: 40 cm to 60 cm
- Leaves: oblong, fragrant
- Flower: lipped, hermaphrodite
- Flowering period: May to August
- Pollination: lever mechanism
- Toxicity: non-toxic
- Use: ornamental perennial, bee pasture, useful plant
leaves
meadow sage thrives as a semi-rosette perennial. Most of the leaves gather near the ground in a tightly packed rosette. Only a few leaves are attached to the taut, square stems. The following features are characteristic of a meadow sage leaf:
- Leaf shape: broadly lanceolate, stalked or sessile, pointed, toothed leaf margin
- Texture: wrinkled, finely hairy
- Leaf color: grey-green to dark green
- Arrangement: in pairs opposite
- Consumption quality: edible
also read
- Use of meadow sage in naturopathy
- What is the right location for meadow sage?
- Meadow sage has a long flowering period
Essential oils in the leaves create an aromatic scent and invite you to taste them. Although the aroma content is significantly lower than that of common sage (Salvia officinalis), meadow sage leaves are suitable as a mild spice and healing tea.
blossom
The high esteem in which meadow sage is held in high esteem is primarily due to the picturesque splendor of its flowers. The following overview summarizes all important flower properties:
- Form: Labiate with lower lip and helmet-shaped upper lip as a roof for 2 stamens and 1 style
- Special feature: dust bag intermediate pieces converted to a plate with lever function and movable barrier
- Flower color: light to medium blue (varieties flower pink, white or purple to purple-blue)
- Flower size: 1.0 to 1.5 cm
- Arrangement: terminal, in panicles to spikes in loose whorls
- Pollinators: long-nosed insects, mostly bumblebees
- Fruits: Split fruits with four single-seeded, black cloves
Wild sage labiate contains abundant nectar as a reward for pollinators. In order for the insects to be able to nibble on the sweet nectar, a great effort is required. Read the section below for some interesting facts about pollination.
pollination
During the flowering period, meadow sage has a special feature that amazes both young and old hobby gardeners. Mother Nature has everything for successful pollination sage species equipped with an ingenious lever mechanism, also called sage mechanism or turnpike mechanism. The functional principle is as simple as it is effective:
- Bumblebee lands on the lower lip as a hide.
- Bumblebee presses her long proboscis onto the plate that blocks access to the nectar in the flower tube.
- Strong trunk pressure triggers the lever mechanism.
- Plate opens, anther arm bangs on hairy bumblebee body and transfers a portion of pollen.
- Bumblebee feasts on the nectar and flies with pollen to the next meadow sage blossom.
Watch the fascinating turnpike mechanism on meadow sage in the following video:
Lever mechanism on meadow sage
Occurrence
The wild sage's perennial cradle is in the Mediterranean area. Meadow sage is now widespread throughout Europe, adorning waysides, wildflower meadows and alpine meadows up to 1600 meters above sea level. The northern limit is in central Sweden, where scattered deposits are found in sheltered locations. Summer sage has also been found on the other side of the Atlantic since the wild perennial was introduced to North America.
use
Meadow sage combines natural charm, an aromatic scent and beneficial active ingredients with crack leather winter hardiness. This gives nature-loving hobby gardeners plenty of ideas for a variety of possible uses. Be inspired by the options in the table below:
| use | idea |
|---|---|
| natural garden | insect-friendly path border |
| cottage garden | fragrant bed border |
| Herb garden | Medicinal plant, kitchen herb |
| Mediterranean garden | planted as tuff for color accents |
| bee pasture | Stripes of flowers in the front yard |
| container plant | on balcony, terrace, roof garden |
| cut flower | fresh as vase decoration |
| dried flower | dried as a bouquet or arrangement |
Plant meadow sage
Like all wild plants, meadow sage can be planted almost all year round. Best time for the direct sowing into the bed is in April. The time window for cultivation on the bright window sill or the sowing in the cold frame opens in late February/early March. In spring and autumn you can buy pre-grown young plants in stores. Plant meadow sage at a distance of 35 cm. Plant 8 to 10 specimens per square meter in the ground for an area-wide green cover.
Location
Meadow sage shows its most beautiful side under the following conditions:
- Full sun to sunny location, likes warm and sheltered from the wind.
- Calcareous, moderately nutrient-rich soil.
- Sandy-drier to fresher garden floor without the risk of waterlogging
In the pot, summer sage adorns the south-facing balcony, the sunny terrace and the sun-drenched roof garden. A mixture of peat-free potting soil, coconut hum, sand and lava granules(€14.00 at Amazon*) over a drainage grit(€14.00 at Amazon*) or expanded clay.
digression
Combine meadow sage creatively
Maintain meadow sage
Meadow sage is very easy to care for. Hobby gardeners with limited free time can leave the wild plants to themselves in the natural garden. Summer sage is grateful for a little horticultural attention in the bucket. A pruning elicits a decorative second bloom from the fragrant natural beauty. Don't miss out on these care tips for meadow sage at its best:
Pour
Meadow sage is left untouched by short-term drought. Waterlogging causes root rot after a short time and ends all hopes of multi-year growth. Water meadow sage with regular tap water when the soil feels dry. In the bucket, wild sage expresses a daily need for watering in the midsummer heat. Bedding plants are usually content with an occasional rain shower.
Fertilize
An organic initial fertilization gets growth going in the spring and stimulates flowering. In order not to affect the leaf rosettes close to the ground, ideally apply nettle manure diluted with water or an organic liquid fertilizer. Alternatively, sprinkle mature, screened compost onto the root disc and work the fertilizer into the soil by hand.
To cut
Meadow sage is one of the growing wild plants. A pruning after the first bloom clears the way for the autumn rebloom. Cut the perennial back to the leaves. This is usually about half the growth height. Then administer a liquid flower fertilizer.(€27.00 at Amazon*)
multiply
The easiest way to propagate the pure species Salvia pratensis is to sow seeds. Harvest the ripe split fruits in autumn. These break up into four black, one-seeded hermitages. Keep the seeds dark and dry until next spring for direct sowing in beds or cultivation on the windowsill.
Two vegetative propagation methods guarantee that the decorative properties of meadow sage varieties are preserved. If you want to double the existing number of wild plants, we recommend dividing them in spring or autumn. For the breeding of numerous young summer sages, cut 6 cm to 8 cm long, herbaceous sages in early summer cuttings, which you can root in a pot or semi-shady bed.
Popular Varieties
Meadow sage brings color to the garden if you combine the original species with these beautiful varieties:
- pink delight: graceful meadow sage variety with pink flowers and delicately hairy leaves that exude an aromatic fragrance.
- Swan Lake: compact summer sage with bright white flowers and beautiful second blooms in autumn.
- Rhapsody in Blue: impresses with bright blue flower spikes and a tightly upright silhouette up to 60 cm tall.
- Rose Rhapsody: premium variety with pink flowers, richly branched, aromatically fragrant and reliably reblooming.
- Madeline: rare two-colored meadow sage variety with violet-blue-white labiate flowers from May.
- Eveline: impresses with rose quartz-colored, large flowers and a tightly upright silhouette up to 55 cm tall.
FAQ
Are meadow sage flowers edible?
Yes, meadow sage flowers are edible. Use young flowers as an aromatic decoration for cold dishes, such as crunchy garden salad or aromatic herb quark. Summer sage blossoms taste much milder than common sage blossoms (Salvia officinalis).
My meadow sage does not bloom again after pruning. What I have done wrong?
In order for meadow sage to reliably replant, pruning is limited to half the plant height. The leaves close to the ground must remain standing so that the perennial shoots through again. Furthermore, a commercially available liquid fertilizer gives your summer sage the necessary energy for an autumn rebloom.
Does meadow sage as a tea have the same effect as medicinal sage?
Meadow sage is known, among other things, as a medicinal plant for various ailments, such as colds, coughs, night sweats, diarrhea or inflammations of all kinds. In contrast to its big brother, the common sage (Salvia officinalis), meadow sage contains significantly fewer essential oils and other healing ingredients. When in doubt, medicinal sage is therefore preferable to a tea made from meadow sage leaves.
Where does meadow sage grow?
Meadow sage adorns roadsides and other sunny, dry, moderately nutrient-rich locations in Europe, Asia Minor and the Caucasus. Since wild sage was introduced to North America, the wild plant has also naturalized on the other side of the Atlantic. In the Alps, the picturesque wild perennial climbs to a height of 1600 meters.
Is meadow sage poisonous?
No, meadow sage is not poisonous. Wild sage (Salvia pratensis) contains a similar combination of active ingredients as common sage (Salvia officinalis), but in a significantly lower concentration. For this reason, summer sage is of secondary importance as a spice and medicinal plant. The wild plant is very popular as a harmless ornamental perennial for the family garden or as a bee pasture for the natural garden.
Is there a risk of confusing meadow sage with other wild plants?
Meadow sage is one of the most common flowers that you can admire in summer meadows and along roadsides. Wild sage is easy to spot with its light to medium blue labial flowers and a growth height of 60 cm. There is no risk of confusion with other wild plants. A taster test clears away any remaining doubts. Rub a meadow sage leaf between your fingers and a pleasant, aromatic scent spreads.
