Herb Specifications
- Season: Biennial
- USDA Zones: 4 - 10
- Height: 48 inches
- Bloom Season: Late spring to early fall
- Bloom Color: Bluish white
- Environment: Full sun
- Soil Type: Well-drained garden soil, ph 6.1 - 7.8
Planting Directions
- Temperature: 68F
- Average Germ Time: 7 - 14 days
- Light Required: No
- Depth: Seeds must be covered thinly
- Sowing Rate: 2 - 3 seeds per plant
- Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination
- Plant Spacing: 24 - 30 inches
Clary (Salvia Sclarea) - Clary is an herb plant that is well-known for its many uses. It is in the mint family and related to common sage. Often it is called Clary Sage. It is a biennial having a 2-year life cycle, so it flowers and sets seed the second growing season. It has large, fuzzy green leaves, and it produces white to bluish white flowers. It is an easy plant to grow and maintain. It prefers a position in full sun and well-drained garden soil to grow in. If Clary is watered once each week, it will do very well. The Clary plant can handle some cold, but giving it some winter protection is beneficial.
The Clary Sage plant has been known as a medicinal herb since the ancient Greeks. Clary essential oil is used to treat inflammation, anxiety, PMS and hot flashes. The oils are still used today as a stabilizing agent in the manufacturing of perfumes and soaps as well as a flavoring for alcoholic beverages. Clary is not considered to be much of a culinary herb, but the leaves can be added to salads.
It is recommended to start Clary herb seed indoors 6 weeks before the end of frost season. Transplant the young plants outdoors into a prepared seedbed once temperatures are warm overnight.
