Clary Sage Seeds — Salvia sclarea

A Towering Herb of Beauty and History — Fragrant, Medicinal, and Magnificent

Salvia sclarea, Clary Sage, is one of the most beautiful of all the medicinal herbs — a bold, architectural biennial that commands attention wherever it grows. In its second year it sends up towering flower spikes, sometimes reaching 1.2 metres or more, clothed in whorls of small white to soft lilac-pink flowers surrounded by large, showy bracts in pale pink, mauve, and white that give the plant its distinctive and ornamental appearance. The whole plant is intensely aromatic — a warm, musky, herbaceous fragrance that is quite unlike any other sage. Long valued in herbal medicine and widely used in the perfume and aromatherapy industries, Clary Sage is just a garden plant that earns its place on both counts.

Why Gardeners Love It

• 🌼 Spectacular flower spikes — towering whorls of white to soft lilac-pink flowers with large, showy pale pink and mauve bracts; very dramatic in the border
• 🌿 Intensely aromatic — the whole plant releases a warm, musky, herbaceous fragrance; one of the most distinctive and evocative scents in the herb garden
• 🐝 Outstanding for pollinators — bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects are drawn to the flowers in large numbers throughout summer
• 🌱 Easy to grow — direct sow or start in trays; Clary Sage is a reliable and rewarding biennial that requires little attention once established
• 🌾 Long-valued medicinal herb — used for centuries in herbal medicine and widely prized in aromatherapy; the essential oil is one of the most sought-after in natural perfumery
• 🎨 Architectural border plant — the bold, hairy foliage and towering flower spikes create a dramatic statement at the back of the border or in the herb garden

Growing Tips for New Zealand

Sow Clary Sage seeds in spring or early summer directly where they are to flower, or in trays for transplanting. Scatter seeds thinly onto prepared soil or moist seed-raising mix and cover lightly. Thin or transplant seedlings to 45–60cm apart — plants grow large. Clary Sage prefers a sunny, well-drained position and is quite drought tolerant once established. As a biennial, it produces a rosette of large, handsome leaves in its first year and flowers magnificently in its second, after which it sets seed and dies — but it self-seeds reliably, so once established in the garden it tends to return year after year. It performs well across most NZ regions.

What's in the Packet

Each packet contains 10 seeds of Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea), with growing instructions included.