Herb
Salvia sclarea
C tier
Salvia sclarea is clary sage’s scientific name—biennial Mediterranean salvia with broad sticky leaves and tall floral bracts. Oil chemistry is dominated by linalyl acetate and related notes, not the culinary profile of S. officinalis. Keep for fragrance gardens and historical recipes; leave stuffing to common sage. Binomial clarity helps herb buyers avoid mis-substitutions.
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Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
GardenHistoric UseOil
Traits
BiennialClary SpeciesFragranceNon-Culinary DefaultPerfume OilSpecies True
History
Linnaean botany fixed Salvia sclarea among medicinal sages.
FR
French oil fields cultivated S. sclarea for perfume materials.
Global aroma-chemical demand sustained S. sclarea farming.
Culinary writers noted S. sclarea as non-interchangeable with kitchen sage.