Black Sage

Black sage is a branching, woody shrub that grows quickly up to 3 ft tall, but can reach up to 6 ft in height and 10 ft in width. Thick gray-brown bark covers the branches, which thin out into numerous leafy twigs. The dark green to gray green leaves are soft and slender, with a fingerprint-like pattern of veins. Each leaf is 1-3 inches long. During the summer, the leaves curl rather than dropping off (this is called semi-deciduous). The flowers bloom in compact, layered clusters, ½ to 1 ½ inches wide. The small, tubular flowers vary in color from white to pale blue to lavender to, rarely, pale rose.

Basic Information

• Member of the Lamiaceae (Mint) family

• Most common sage in California

• Evergreen shrub, perennial

• Keystone species of the coastal sage scrub plant community in the southern half of the state

  • Keystone species support the entire ecosystem

• This plant easily hybridizes with other coastal sages (Salvias):

  • Salvia apiana

  • Salvia leucophylla

  • Salvia clevelandii

  • It rarely hybridizes with Salvia columbariae and Salvia carduacea

Habitat

• Native to California along the Coast Ranges south to Baja California

• Commonly found in coastal sage scrub and chaparral communities on flats, mesas, foothills, canyons, and slopes

Ecological Role

• Hummingbirds and insects, especially bees and butterflies, are attracted to the flowers

• Quail, Towhees, and other birds eat the seeds

Reproduction

• Blooms from March to July

Alternative Names

• California black sage, black sage

• Known as seel by the Mahuna

Historical Uses

• The seeds were used for food — ground into meal — by Native American tribes including the Cahuilla and Luiseno

• The Cahuilla used the leaves and stalks for food flavoring

• The Chumash people used a strong tea of the leaves and stems to relieve pain by applying it to the sore area via rubbing or soaking

  • The plant contains diterpenoids — pain relievers

• The Mahuna used an infusion of the plant to treat bronchial coughs

• The Ohlone had a number of uses for this plant including:

  • Chewing the green leaves to relieve gas

  • Infusion of green leaves for heart disorders

  • Poultice of leaves for earaches and neck sores

  • Decoction for coughs

  • Decoction used in a bath for paralysis

Additional Information

• The nectar from this plant is used to create the rare, peppery Black Sage honey

  • This honey can only be made when specific rain conditions are met and the plant produces enough nectar to be made into honey