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Common sage (Salvia officinalis) is a small evergreenThis article is about plant types. For other uses see Evergreen (disambiguation Evergreen has two meanings in relation to plants: Evergreen means a plant retaining its foliage year-round (a botanist would say the leaves are persistent or not ''deciduous . subshrubA sub-shrub (Latin suffrutex is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody perennial plant, distinguished from a shrub by variously its ground-hugging stems and lower height, with overwintering perennial woody growth typically less t, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is native to Southern EuropeFor the band of the same name, see Europe (band . Europe is a continent forming the westermost part of the Eurasian supercontinent. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Se and the Mediterranean region.

It is much cultivated as a kitchen and medicinal herbA herb (pronounced "urb" in American English and "hurb" in British English) is a plant grown for culinary or medicinal value. Typically, the green, leafy part of the plant is used. General usage differs between culinary herbs and medicinal herbs. A medici, and is also called Garden sage, Kitchen sage, and Dalmatian sage. In southern Europe related species are sometimes cultivated for the same purpose, and may be confused with the common sage. Although this plant was the one originally called by this name sage, a number of related species are now also called by it, and are described in more detail in the article on sageThis article is about the sage plant; for other uses see Sage (disambiguation Salvia ''Salvia fruticosa Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Genus Salvia Species Salvia a.

The uses and benefits ascribed to it are many and varied, and are often shared with related species. The commonest uses made of the common sage include;

• teasThis article is about the beverage. For alternative meanings, see tea (disambiguation). Tang Dynasty ( 618- 907). Tea is a caffeinated beverage, an infusion made by steeping the dried leaves or buds of the shrub Camellia sinensis in hot water. In addition and infusions, which are considered to have calming drink, and as a digestive agent
• preservative flavourings, for instance of cheeseCheese is a foodstuff made from the curdled milk of various animals, most frequently cows, but often goats, sheep, and water buffalo. Rennet is often used to induce milk to coagulate, although some cheeses are curdled with acids like vinegar or lemon juic
• as a cooking flavouring, such as in sage and onion stuffing

Common sage is also grown in parts of EuropeFor the band of the same name, see Europe (band . Europe is a continent forming the westermost part of the Eurasian supercontinent. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Se, especially the Balkans for distillation of the essential oil, though other species, such as Salvia triloba may also be harvested and distilled with it.

A number of cultivated forms of the plant exist. The majority of these are cultivated more often for ornament than for their herbal properties. All these are valuable as small ornamental flowering shrubs, and for low ground cover, especially in sunny dry situations. They are easily raised from summer cuttings .The named varieties include

• 'Purpurascens', a purple-leafed variety, considered by some to be strongest of the garden sages,
• 'Tricolor', a variety with white, yellow and green variegated leaves,
• 'Berggarten', a variety with huge leaves,
• 'Icterina', a variety with yellow-green variegated leaves,
• 'Alba', a white-flowered variety,
• 'Lavandulaefolia', a small leaved variety.

A medieval saying, sometimes attributed to Martin Luther, is: "Cur moriatur homo cui Salvia crescit in horto?" ('Why should a man die whilst sage grows in his garden?'). To which Hildegard of Bingen said: "Why should a man die whilst sage grows in his garden, if not because nothing can stand against death?"

See also: Thujone