Salvia verbenaca
Encyclopedia
Salvia verbenaca, also known as Wild Clary or Wild Sage, is native to the British Isles
, the Mediterranean region in Southern Europe
, North Africa
, and Near East
, and in the Caucasus
. It can be found as an introduced species
that has naturalized
in meadows in the Eastern United States
.
S. verbenaca is a tall perennial herb
with hairy stems and branches that erectly sprawl out. Its leaves are basal
and toothed that vary from 3 to 10 cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) long. It has soft purple to violet flowers in mid summer. It is in flower from June to September, and the seeds ripen from July to October. The flowers are bisexual
and are pollinated by bees. Some are also cleistogamous
and pollinate themselves.
The plant is noted for attracting pollinators and wildlife. It prefers neutral and alkali
ne soils and needs full sun. This aromatic sage is used as a flavoring in foods and to make tea. The flowers can be added to salad
s.
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, the Mediterranean region in Southern Europe
Southern Europe
The term Southern Europe, at its most general definition, is used to mean "all countries in the south of Europe". However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical...
, North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, and Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
, and in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. It can be found as an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
that has naturalized
Naturalisation (biology)
In biology, naturalisation is any process by which a non-native organism spreads into the wild and its reproduction is sufficient to maintain its population. Such populations are said to be naturalised....
in meadows in the Eastern United States
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
.
S. verbenaca is a tall perennial herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
with hairy stems and branches that erectly sprawl out. Its leaves are basal
Anatomical terms of location
Standard anatomical terms of location are designations employed in science that deal with the anatomy of animals to avoid ambiguities that might otherwise arise. They are not language-specific, and thus require no translation...
and toothed that vary from 3 to 10 cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) long. It has soft purple to violet flowers in mid summer. It is in flower from June to September, and the seeds ripen from July to October. The flowers are bisexual
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
and are pollinated by bees. Some are also cleistogamous
Cleistogamy
Cleistogamy or automatic self-pollination describes the trait of certain plants to propagate by using non-opening, self-pollinating flowers...
and pollinate themselves.
The plant is noted for attracting pollinators and wildlife. It prefers neutral and alkali
Alkali
In chemistry, an alkali is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal element. Some authors also define an alkali as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7. The adjective alkaline is commonly used in English as a synonym for base,...
ne soils and needs full sun. This aromatic sage is used as a flavoring in foods and to make tea. The flowers can be added to salad
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
s.