SALVIA

In the mint family. Very large genus of about 900 species of annuals, biennials, herbaceous and evergreen perennials and shrubs distributed generally in temperate and tropical regions.

They are frequently aromatic, hairy or woolly and many species attract bees. Some have medicinal and culinary qualities.

Clary (clear-eye) sage, S. verbenaca and S. pratensis are the UK natives. Seeds of the former, from dry pastures and roadsides in southern England, were made in to a mucilage and used to soothe eye irritation, roots were ground as snuff and leaves used as a herb with lemon or orange juice. The latter, meadow clary, has a status of Vulnerable and Near Threatened because of the manufacture of "improved grassland". It is found on calcareous grassland in southern England.

Less hardy varieties can be grown in containers.