Product Description

 Salvia fruticosa (Greek sage) is a perennial herb or sub-shrub native to the eastern Mediterranean, southern Italy, Israel, the Canary Islands, and North Africa. It has a long tradition in Greece valued for its beauty, medicinal value, and culinary use, along with its sweet nectar and pollen. Salvia fruticosa was depicted in a Minoan fresco circa ***0 BCE at Knossos on the island of Crete. The ancient Phoenicians and Greeks likely introduced the plant for cultivation to the Iberian peninsula, with remnant populations of these introduced plants still found in some coastal areas.

Sage is a silvery-green plant with leaves that offer a memorable fragrant. The most common variety of sage was first found growing in regions around the Mediterranean but now grows in regions of North America as well. The leaves of the sage herb serve both medicinal and culinary purposes.

For thousands of years sage has been used for a variety of culinary and medicinal purposes. It has been used in connection with sprains, swelling, ulcers, and bleeding. As a tea, sage has been administered for sore throats and coughs. Herbalists have also used this herb for rheumatism, menstrual bleeding, strengthening the nervous system, improving memory, and sharpening the senses. There are not enough studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of sage for any of these conditions, although some studies show promise for improving cognitive function in people with Alzheimer’s disease when taken orally.