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Salvia sclarea
| Common name: |
Clary |
Family: |
Labiatae |
| Author: |
L. |
Botanical references: |
93, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
|
| Known Hazards: |
None known |
| Range: |
Southern Europe to Syria. |
| Habitat: |
Rocky igneous slopes, mixed deciduous and coniferous woodland, shale banks and roadsides to 2000 metres in Turkey[93]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
2 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 2 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Horminum hortense[H]
S. sclarea var. turkestaniana[G]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Amaro [E], Clarry [H], Clary [L], Clary Sage [H,E], Clear Eye [H], Cleareye [B], Cleere Eye [E], Common Clary [H], Europe Sage [P], Eyebright [H], Garden Clary [H], Orvale [H], See Bright [H], Tuylu Adacayi [E], |
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Lamiales. Renamed to Lamiaceae -- Mint family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Britain(Wales)
Europe Spain Turkey
|
Physical Characteristics
Biennial/Perennial growing to 1m by 0.6m . It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower in August, and the seeds ripen in September. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
We rate it 2/5 for edibility and
2/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.
It requires dry or moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Cultivated Beds.Edible Uses
Condiment
Flowers Leaves.
Leaves - raw or cooked. A strong, warm, aromatic taste and odour[244].
They are used mainly as a flavouring in cooked foods[2, 27, 37, 105], they
are similar to sage (S. officinalis)[1]. The leaves can be dipped in batter
and cooked to make delicious fritters[183, 244].
Flowers - raw. A pleasant taste, they can be sprinkled on chopped
salads[183, 238], or made into a tea[238].
The plant is sometimes used as a hop substitute in flavouring beer,
imparting considerable bitterness and intoxicating properties[4] - it either
makes people dead drunk or insanely exhilarated[244]. The leaves have also
been used to adulterate wine and give it a muscatel flavour[244].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Antispasmodic
Appetizer Aromatherapy Aromatic Astringent Balsamic Carminative Ophthalmic Pectoral Tonic.
Clary has been perceived both as a weaker version of sage (Salvia
officinalis) and also as a significant herb in its own right[254]. An
antispasmodic and aromatic plant, it is used mainly to treat digestive
problems such as wind and indigestion[254]. It is also regarded as a tonic,
calming herb that helps relieve period pain and pre-menstrual problems. Owing
to its oestrogen-stimulating action, it is most effective when levels of this
hormone are low[254].
The whole plant, and especially the leaves, is antispasmodic, appetizer,
aromatic, astringent, balsamic, carminative, pectoral and tonic[4]. It is
useful in treating disorders of the stomach and kidneys and is a valuable
remedy for complaints associated with the menopause, particularly hot
flushing[4, 254]. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women[238]. The
leaves can be used fresh or dried, for drying they are harvested before the
plant comes into flower[238].
The seed forms a thick mucilage when it is soaked for a few minutes in
water. This is efficacious in removing small particles of dust from the
eyes[4, 238].
The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is 'Euphoric'[210].
Other Uses
Essential
Oil.
An essential oil is obtained from the flowering stems. Called 'Muscatel
oil', it has an ambergris aroma and is used in soaps, cosmetics, as a
fixative in perfumery etc[1, 46, 74, 171, 238].
A drying oil is obtained from the seed, it is used in varnishes, paints
etc[74].
Cultivation details
Requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position[200].
Thrives on any ground that is not too wet[4]. Plants can be killed by
excessive winter wet[200].
Hardy to about -20° c[187].
A biennial or short-lived perennial[187]. The flowers can be air-dried and
used as everlasting flowers[200].
A very ornamental plant, it is strongly aromatic and is sometimes cultivated
for its essential oil, there are some named varieties[74, 183]. When bruised,
the leaves release a deliciously pungent and refreshing smell of fresh
grapefruit[245].
The flowers are very attractive to bees[245].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].
Propagation
Seed - can be sown in situ during spring[1]. Alternatively seed can be
sown in August/September to overwinter, it will then produce larger plants
Thinnings can be transplanted[1]. The seed remains viable for 3 years[1].
Scent
-
Leaves: Crushed
- When bruised, the leaves release a deliciously pungent and refreshing smell of fresh grapefruit[245].
Cultivars
- ''
- No entries have been made for this species as yet.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [W] Photos
(common names, range) from the University of Washington Medicinal Herb Garden.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for salvia sclarea (a possible synonym).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[27] Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8
A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.
[37] Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878
Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.
[93] Davis. P. H. Flora of Turkey. Edinburgh University Press 1965
Not for the casual reader, this is an immense work in many volumes. Some details of plant uses and habitats.
[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[210] Westwood. C. Aromatherapy - A guide for home use. Amberwood Publishing Ltd 1993 ISBN 0-9517723-0-9
An excellent little pocket guide. Very concise.
[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.
[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
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