In addition to its use as incense, white sage has a variety of applications. Its medicinal properties are purported to include antiseptic, decongestant, a treatment for abrasions and skin inflammations, and treatment for bacterial infections, sore throats, and lung problems. Prepared as a decoction, the leaves act to stimulate perspiration, which can help to lower fevers. Sage was also a staple food of Native Americans; the seeds were ground into flour, and the young shoots were eaten as greens. Also, white sage has been used in combination with other aromatic herbs to repel ants and other insects - either as a powder for dusting or as a spray.

Though many species of plants are referred to as sage, Salvia apiana is the historically ‘true’ sage (many other plants referred to as sage are actually of the mugwort genus), and has been used for cooking, medicine, and as a sacrament for many centuries by the indigenous peoples of the continent.

Sage is a very large, but slow-growing plant; it can take three years for it to reach its average height of three feet and spread of eight feet. This aromatic perennial’s unique characteristics are a result of a highly-evolved defence mechanism – the plant has developed leaves full of aromatic oils in order to prevent animals from eating them. The properties of these oils are far-ranging; everything from being used as a defense against insects to creating an effective, non-lathering shampoo. White Sage grows extremely well in the wild, but due to pressure from development in its mainly Californian habitat, wild stocks are dwindling.

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