The meadow sage is one of the wild plants that are very widespread. The pretty blue-purple, occasionally pink and white flowers appear on long stalks and delight nature lovers and gardeners for many weeks. A personal description.

Meadow sage is a pretty, widespread wild plant

The meadow sage - a profile

  • Botanical name: Salvia pratensis
  • Family: Lamiaceae
  • Special features: semi-rosette plant
  • Origin: Mediterranean area
  • Distribution: Europe, Caucasus, North America. Grows up to 1,600 meters in height
  • Location: Sunny locations - meadows, roadsides, fallow land
  • Species: about ten species for natural gardens
  • Height: up to 70 centimeters in height
  • Perennial: becomes several years old
  • Location: wild plant, sunny meadows, fallow land
  • Leaves: green, up to 10 cm long and 5 cm wide
  • Flower colors: predominantly blue-purple, occasionally pink and white
  • Flowering period: May to August, second flowering possible in autumn
  • Pollination: lever mechanism, main pollinators bumblebees
  • Propagation: seeds, root division, cuttings
  • Toxicity: non-toxic
  • Use: ornamental plant in the garden, medicinal plant

Meadow sage needs a lot of light

One of the peculiarities of meadow sage is that it belongs to the light plants. If the plant gets less than 20 percent of the normal light, it becomes sterile and will no longer reproduce.

Meadow sage is very popular with bumblebees and butterflies. The wild plant is therefore also grown as a so-called bee pasture in the garden.

Cultivate meadow sage in the garden

To cultivate meadow sage in the garden, you need a location that is as sunny as possible. The plant substrate should be well drained. Calcareous soils are preferred, but meadow sage also grows well in other locations as long as it gets enough sun.

The wild plant develops long taproots and should therefore not be transplanted.

Particularly beautiful meadow sage species for the garden are:

  • midsummer
  • ocean blue
  • Lapis Lazuli
  • Rose Rhapsody

Use as a medicinal plant

Meadow sage, like other members of the sage family, is not poisonous. The leaves contain fewer active ingredients than common sage. Among other things, it contains: tannic acid, bitter substances, flavonoids and essential oils.

Meadow sage is used for digestive problems, heavy sweating and skin diseases. The plant is used as a tea, which is used both internally and externally.

tips

Meadow sage is extremely easy to care for if you grow it in the garden. After flowering, you can cut it back completely. It will then sprout again in early autumn.

Category:

Herbs