Sage is a small evergreen shrub with quadrangular branches. The leaves are opposite, finely toothed covered with hair, oval-lanceolate, thick and wrinkled. The inflorescences are vertical and appear around June-July.
Sage is native to the Middle East and the Mediterranean area but today it is widespread almost all over the world.
In Italy we can find 20 species of salvia, the Officinalis is certainly the most widespread and known.
Sage owes its name to the Latin term "save" with an evident reference to its numerous healing properties. The ancient Egyptians used it as a remedy for female infertility. Hippocrates and Paracelsus prescribed it as a diuretic and aphrodisiac. The Gauls believed that it had the ability to cure all diseases, even that it had the power to resurrect the dead and for this reason it was also used in magical rites. In the Middle Ages it was used as a healing agent on wounds and sores, while the Chinese believed that sage was able to "give" longevity.
Among the many virtues of Sage, the one of restoring harmony
According to popular tradition, Sage restores harmony when there are quarrels: for this reason, in ancient times, it was recommended to keep a jar in the center of the table for those who had problems with their families.
"Why should the man die in a garden where Sage grows?" It is an ancient proverb of Salerno Medical School justified by the great virtues of this medicinal plant.
Curiosity
The extraordinary Sage plant, women’s friend, has always been surrounded by an aura of magic and mystery. Like St. John's wort, Sage should also be harvested, for therapeutic purposes, at the dawn of the most enigmatic and mysterious day of the year: San Giovanni, June the 24th.