Clary sage

Clary sage is an excellent source of nectar for bees and other pollinators. Native to the Mediterranean, it grows wild in France, Russia and Hungary and can be used in cooking much in the same way as the more familiar Salvia officinalis, or common sage. Sometimes known as muscatel oil, clary sage oil is used often in aromatherapies for its cooling, calming properties and as an antiseptic - it was used to treat sweating in tuberculosis and has a long history of association with women's medicines. The oil is pale and thin, herbaceous and slightly floral with a surprising, pleasant earthiness.