Clary Sage Absolute
Origin: France, Russia

• Details and product description

  Introduction:

  Clary sage is a biennial, upright plant that can grow 60-80 cm (2 to 3 feet) tall. The upper portion of its strong, quadrangular branched stems are covered with soft, downy glandular hairs from which the essential oil is extracted. The plant’s large wooly oval leaves are a grayish color. Clary sage has purple or lilac colored flowers that are arranged in spikes (or whorls) on top of the stems; they each contain two half stamens. The flowers bloom from July to September The plant’s fruits consist of brown four-angled achenes. The entire plant exudes a strong, musky, honey-like scent. Some clary sage plants have purple, pink, or white flowers, though only one variety of the plant is fertile. The plant’s velvety leaves and tall pastel blue/pink inflorescences make it a highly decorative plant. The plant is commonly found in the French jardin de cure, a French garden that traditionally provided edible plants and medicinal herbs for the parish priest.

  History:

  Etymology: “clary” is derived from the Latin clarus meaning “clear” or from the Greek skleros (σκληρός) meaning “hard.” The name “sage” comes from the Latin salvus meaning “safe, whole, or healthy” to preserve health and promote longevity. The clary sage is a very ancient medicinal plant that originated in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean. The plant is referred to in Ancient Egypt, Rome and Gaul along with its close relative Salvia officinalis (common sage). Faure (1987) refers to it as the “bakko of Libya” while the folklorist Frangaki calls it “Cretan Faskomilo (Cretan Sage). In 795, it was recommended for its medicinal properties in the Capitulare de Villis under the name Sclareiam from the Latin clarus “to clarify” in reference to the decoction of its seeds used to make an eyewash. The plant came to England in 1562 and was later used by German wine growers to make vermouth. Certain German merchants added clary sage and elder flowers to Rhine wine to make a good imitation of muscatel. The practice was so common that Germans still call the herb Muskateller Salbej, and the English know it as muscatel sage. Brewers sometimes substituted clary sage for hops in beer to produce an enhanced state of intoxication and exhilaration, but it was said to produce severe headaches. In the 12th century, it was considered an aphrodisiac. The word salvia is derived from the Latin salvare meaning “to heal, to save.”

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