Salvia verticillata

Lamiaceae Edible: Leaves - tea, Stems 7,547 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Salvia verticillata, the lilac sage or whorled clary, is a herbaceous perennial native to a wide area ranging from central Europe to western Asia, and naturalized in northern Europe and North America. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Salvia verticillata has a leafy base of mid-green leaves covered with hairs, putting up leaf-covered stems that carry 3 feet (0.91 m) inflorescences. The tiny lavender flowers grow tightly packed in whorls, with tiny lime-green and purple calyces. The specific epithet verticillata refers to the whorls that grow in verticils. A cultivar introduced in the 1990s, 'Purple Rain', is much more showy and long-blooming, growing about 2 feet (0.61 m) tall.

Description

A temperate herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae) with leaves and stems used for culinary purposes.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The leaves are used for tea, and the stems are edible.

Traditional Uses

The leaves are used for tea.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

Armenia, Caucasus, Europe, Georgia, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Turkey, Türkiye,

Synonyms

Covola verticillata (L.) Medik.Salvia mollis Donnand others

Also Known As

Dadirak, Djara, Eghespak, Vretenčasta kadulja

References (5)

Bussman, R. W., et al, 2021, Unity in diversity—food plants and fungi of Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2021) 17:72 p 9
Ertug, F, Yenen Bitkiler. Resimli Türkiye Florası -I- Flora of Turkey - Ethnobotany supplement
http://www.botanic-gardens-ljubljana.com/en/plants
Nanagulyan, S., et al, 2020, Wild plants and fungi sold in the markets of Yerevan (Armenia). Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 16:26
Ozbucak, T. B. et al, 2006, The Contribution of Wild Edible Plants to Human Nutrition in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. Ethnobotanical Leaflets 10: 98-103