My Sage Has Flowers . . . ?

[Whitewater]

Last year, my sage grew and was healthy, and thrived. Even managed to harvest some leaves to dry (which lasted until Thanksgiving! LOL!).

This year, it's even bigger and more luxuriously leafy, but I've noticed what can only be flowers growing on last year's stems. This isn't going to stop it from making leaves, will it?

Has anybody else ever seen their sage flower? Is this a good or a bad thing? Can you use the flowers for culinary stuff or medicinal stuff?

I never knew that sage could flower, none of my research has even suggested such a thing.

Guess you learn something new every day!


Whitewater

 

[aquarose]

My sage has just started to bloom. Its beautiful! In my experience, it will only bloom if I don't cut it back too much the previous year. I don't know about blooming affecting flavor. I think it will still produce plenty of leaves. I had a rosemary that bloomed once or twice too.

 

[hoodat]

Last year, my sage grew and was healthy, and thrived. Even managed to harvest some leaves to dry (which lasted until Thanksgiving! LOL!).

This year, it's even bigger and more luxuriously leafy, but I've noticed what can only be flowers growing on last year's stems. This isn't going to stop it from making leaves, will it?

Has anybody else ever seen their sage flower? Is this a good or a bad thing? Can you use the flowers for culinary stuff or medicinal stuff?

I never knew that sage could flower, none of my research has even suggested such a thing.

Guess you learn something new every day!


Whitewater

Most blooms take place on year old wood so pruning heavily this year will mean less flowers next year. The flowering won't affect the number of leaves but if you don't want to save seed trim the flowers off as they fade. The best tasting sage is said to come from older plants.

 

[ducks4you]

You're worrying unnecessarily. I have kept sage going in the same spot for nearly a decade. It just gets a little more spread out every year--LOTS of leaves. I use it when I cook chicken or turkey, and I EVEN pick/use the leaves from my plants in the middle of winter OUTSIDE, instead of taking time to dry them out and store them. I have common sage and decorative Russian sage. REALLY pretty purple flowers on both right now.

 

[journey11]

They say it is best to harvest the leaves (for drying) prior to it blooming. I've not noticed much difference myself. Mine is blooming right now too. So pretty!

 

[barefootgardener]

Journey, that is truly a beautiful picture of your sage in flower..I love the barn in the background!

I have been growing common sage for years..And only a few times have I ever gotten any flowers..I always cut my sage every year to dry the leaves and use fresh ..Maybe I should leave one of the plants alone one year just to get those gorgeous flowers the following year..I always thought it did not bloom constantly because of my hard winters..

Ginny

 

[journey11]

Ginny, thanks, I love that old barn. Wish it were mine!

That might be the case. I've never cut mine back, just pull a few leaves as I need them.