How to grow White Sage

Salvia apiana

Minimal water, no fertlizing or soil amenders – it prefers to be left alone once established.

Be careful when growing it near other salvias, it will hybridize.

Protect from freezing temperatures.1

Growing White Sage from seed

Poor germination rates – hard to grow from seed. Order plenty if you want to go that route.

By our calculations*, you should look at sowing White Sage about 84 days before your last frost date .

Transplanting White Sage

Southern California native so the nursery instructions were: do NOT amend the soil, do NOT over water. Put it in well draining soil, on a bank is great. It can tolerate both clay and rocky soil, and somewhere right in the middle is best. Water about once a week until established. You will know it’s established when a hot spell no longer causes the leaves to droop. If the leaves droop, it needs a wee bit of water. Once it is established, ignore it and it will be happy. I mixed in a bit of sand to my clay soil since they do like drainage.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as White Sage is a tender plant.

Harvesting White Sage

For leaves, harvest only once plant is well-established. Cut off a few branches, hang upside down to dry.

How long does White Sage take to grow?

These estimates for how long White Sage takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take White Sage to germinate?
8 days

Average 8 days | Min 6 days | Max 15 days (4)

Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out White Sage?
+ 26 days

Average 26 days | Min 12 days | Max 63 days (3)

Days to Maturity How long until White Sage is ready for harvest / bloom?
+ days

Average days | Min days | Max days (0)

Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow White Sage?
= days

When should I plant White Sage?

Our when to plant White Sage estimates are relative to your last frost date.

When to sow The number of days to sow White Sage before or after your last frost date.
84 days before Last Frost Date

White Sage Folklore & Trivia

It grows wild on the Kumeyaay tribal land in Eastern San Diego county. The Kumeyaay use it in religous ceremonies, seem to be burning it pretty frequently for spiritual reasons, and it smells fabulous. Really a gorgeous plant.

Native to California and Mexico.

Other names for White Sage

Smudge Sage, Bee Sage

Footnotes

Planting instructions came from Hunter’s Nursery (family owned since 1919) in Spring Valley, CA.

1 https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/product/sage-white-salvia-apiana-packet-of-100-seeds-organic/

2 https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/product/sage-white-salvia-apiana-packet-of-100-seeds-organic/


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