Eyebright Salvia sclarea

Clary sage is a biennial or short-lived herbaceous perennial in the mint family (Lamiaceae) native to the Mediterranean region of southern Europe and central Asia. The epithet is from clara, the Latin for “clear.” The mucilaginous nutlets were used to clear foreign objects from eyes. The nutlets were placed in the eye, whereupon they produced a mucilage that entrapped the grit and other material, after which the nutlets were easily removed. The common name, clary, is said to be a corruption of “clear eye.”

This easy-to-grow plant reaches 2 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Plant in average, well-drained soils in full sun. Clary sage does well in light, gravelly, dry or sandy soils. Wet soil in winter should be avoided. It is drought-tolerant. Rich, excessively fertilized soils produce tall plants with few flowers. Propagate clary sage by seeds (nutlets), which, as with many sage species, produce mucilage when exposed to water (cf. chia, Salvia hispanica).

The fragrant leaves of clary sage are much used in perfumery and as a flavoring in wines and liqueurs. The flowers are fragrant, showy white-lavender-pink blooms that appear from June to August. As flowers fade, cut stalks back to near the ground to encourage a second flush of growth and flowering. Clary sage is resistant to browsing by deer and rabbits and quite drought tolerant.

Use clary sage in herb, butterfly and pollinator gardens. It is also good planted as a border or in small groups in a naturalized area. It is an old-fashioned stalwart of cottage gardens.

Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. 

More information on Salvia.