In France, clary sage is the third most widely grown herb, right after lavender and lavandula. The reason lies in its scent, which the perfume industry uses as a fixative especially in men’s perfumes. It is reputed as a female plant ‘par excellence’ and also as an aphrodisiac.

Clary sage is a relative of common sage. The kinship connection is not visible at first sight, as nutmeg sage is much taller than common sage (it can grow over one meter in height), has very large leaves and flowers, and its scent is completely different. The shape of the flowers, on the other hand, is the same with both varieties.

Essential oil is mainly concentrated in flowers, some also in leaves. The plant is picked by hand in our Herb garden. Its color is pale yellow; distillations usually yield some 0.12 – 0.15% of it.
Interesting, the biennial variant of clary sage usually gives higher yields of essential oil than the perennial one.

The smell of clary sage is heavy, intoxicating and herbal, comparable to some heavy wines. Even if considered pleasant, in strong concentrations it can appear excessive.