Blue Sage - Salvia africana
Blue Sage - Salvia africana

Common names: blue sage, wild sage, African sage, purple sage (English); blousalie, bloublomsalie, Afrikaansesalie, perdesalie, wildesalie (Afrikaans). 
Botanical name: Salvia africana
Previously known as: Salvia africana-caerulea

The blue sage, Salvia africana, is a decorative, aromatic shrub with medicinal properties. It has two-lipped flowers that are adapted to pollination by bees and produces small nutlets that are dispersed by wind. This plant has a long history of use by the Khoi and San people and the early settlers in South Africa for treating various ailments, such as coughs, colds, fevers and stomach troubles. It can also be used as a substitute for the common sage, Salvia officinalis, in cooking and herbal teas. Salvia africana is easy to grow in full sun and well-drained soil, and blooms almost all year round.

Uses & Benefits: aromatic, cosmetics, culinary herb, flavouring, incense, insect repellent, medicine, pot plant, potpourri, small garden, tea, water-wise, wind tolerant

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Nature & Cultivation

Family: Lamiaceae
Type: shrub
Vegetation type: Peninsula Shale Renosterveld 
Flower colour: blue, white
Flowering season: Autumn, Spring, Summer, Winter
Plant-animal interactions: bees, butterflies
Red list status: Least Concern

Light-level: afternoon sun, full sun, morning sun, semi-shade
Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Soil pH: Acidic
Propagation: cuttings, seed

Use as Medicine

Safety: caution during pregnancy, herb-drug interactions

Herbal traditions: Cape Dutch, Cape Herbal Medicine
Plant parts used: leaves

First-aid use: colds & 'flu, colic, cough, depression, diarrhoea, flatulence, heartburn, indigestion, sore throat, stomach ache, wounds 
Medical use:  
Veterinary use:  

Plant qualities: aromatic, bitter, cleansing, uplifting
Plant actions: anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiplasmoidial, carminative, expectorant, vulnerary
Phytochemical constituents: caryophyllene, rosmarinic acid, sesquiterpenes, spathulenol, terpenoids

Plant preparations: balm, compress, cream, decoction, dried, essential oil, fresh, fumigant, gargle, gel, incense, infusion - aqueous, infusion - vegetable oil, lotion, salt, salve, smudge, soap, spray, steam, syrup, tincture, wash

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