412 · Sage, Broadleaf

About this plant

The standard kitchen sage, with wide, velvety gray-green leaves and a warm, earthy, slightly camphorous flavor that deepens with cooking. Fry the leaves in butter for squash and pasta, or use it in stuffing and pork dishes. A perennial subshrub that lives for years here with excellent drainage, sun in winter, some afternoon shade in summer, and a light annual pruning.

Planting it at home

When to plant out

Wait until after our last frost (about mid-February) and warm soil — usually March. Until then keep the pot in a sunny, sheltered spot and bring it in on cold nights.

Where

Raised bed, Containers, Xeriscape

Spacing

18"

Size

18–24"

Care

Sun

Full sun (6–8 h)

Water

Moderate; let topsoil dry

Feed

Light feeding only; too much fertilizer weakens the flavor (general guide).

Good to know

Grown from

Seed — sown by FHCG volunteers

Uses

Squash, pasta, stuffing, pork

Harvest

Pick leaves

Life cycle

Perennial

Heirloom or hybrid

Heirloom — saved seeds grow true

Pollinators

High — bees, butterflies

Heat (our summer)

Moderate–High