WHITE SAGE SEEDS

Salvia apiana

Unethical wildcrafting and fire has devastated the native population of this species in California. If you wish to burn traditional White Sage for ritual purposes, the only truly ethical way for non-Native individuals to acquire it is to grow it.

White Sage is easy from seed, but requires full sun and very sharply draining soil to thrive. It is not hardy in the north or where winters are both cold and wet. It may be grown successfully as an annual in some regions, and is suitable for large containers.

Start these seeds indoors: sow seeds just below soil surface, pressing to keep seed snug; kept warm (70°F) and moist in bright light, seeds will germinate over the course of one to three weeks. Carefully prick out seedlings with true leaves to grow on in individual deep pots with good loose potting soil. Provide bright light and good air circulation. Germination is sometimes erratic and initial growth quite slow. Be patient.

White Sage has several culinary, medicinal and ritual uses among Western Native American tribes. As non-indigenous people, we might do well to consider alternative species: the seeds of Salvia hispanica and Salvia tiliaefolia are superior for eating and the plants are much easier to propagate. The seeds, leaves and flowers of Salvia sclarea have been used medicinally for centuries by Europeans in very nearly the exact same ways that Salvia apiana is used by Western tribes. For smudging, Artemisia ludoviciana is an excellent choice and has been traditionally used for ritual purposes by tribes throughout North America. A. ludoviciana is also far easier to grow and is hardy to at least zone 4 if grown in well-drained soils.

White Sage is listed as being hardy in zone 7, but it will absolutely not overwinter in wet soil regardless of temperature.

Packet contains at least 100 seeds.