Common Sage Seeds
Heirloom, Perennial
Greyish, flavoursome leaves and handsome purple flowers, and it matches particularly well with butter and poultry.
- About 50 seeds, a shrub needs fewer
- Perennial and evergreen
- Grey aromatic leaves, purple flowers
- Heirloom, so you can save seed
For Christmas, order by 16 December, or 18 December in WA. All dates
A perennial evergreen herb with greyish, flavoursome leaves and handsome purple flowers, which matches particularly well with butter and poultry. Sage is one of the few herbs that is genuinely a shrub: plant it once, give it room, and it will still be there in five years. Roughly 50 seeds in a packet.
Key Features
- Approximately 50 seeds per packet. A shrub needs fewer.
- Heirloom variety. So you can save seed from mature plants.
- Perennial and evergreen. One sowing, years of picking.
- Greyish, aromatic foliage. With handsome purple flowers.
- Drought tolerant. Once established.
Pūrē Standard
- It is a shrub, not a seasonal herb. Sage is evergreen and perennial, so unlike basil or coriander you sow it once. Given its 50cm of room it becomes a permanent, structural thing in the bed rather than something you replace every spring.
- The right herb for a dry climate. Mediterranean, drought tolerant once established, and far more likely to be killed by overwatering than by neglect. That is a useful quality in a Perth summer.
- Heirloom means it keeps going. Let it flower and set seed and you never buy this packet again.
- Paper packet, nothing else. Close to the smallest packaging footprint of anything we sell.
- Where we would like more. Little Veggie Patch Co do not state whether their seed is chemically treated. They describe their garlic as grown on a chemical-free farm but make no equivalent statement for seed, and they publish no germination rate or packing date. Their own listing also gives this packet the botanical name of rosemary rather than sage, which we have corrected here.
Overall score:
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Low-Tox & Material Safety | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5) |
| Sustainability | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.5/5) |
| Manufacturing Transparency | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5) |
| Packaging | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.5/5) |
How to Use
- Scatter along shallow trench lines. Keep them moist, not too wet, until they germinate. Allow 3 to 4 weeks.
- Spacing is 50cm. This is a shrub. Crowding it is the most common mistake people make with sage.
- Depth. 0 to 1cm.
- Position. Full sun preferred.
- Soil. Free draining with plenty of compost. In pots, use a good quality potting mix. As Little Veggie Patch Co put it, quality is typically correlated to price.
- Once established, water sparingly. Sage dies of wet feet far more often than of thirst.
When to Plant
- Zone 1, cool. September to April.
- Zone 2, temperate. September to May.
- Zone 3, subtropical. Anytime.
- Zone 4, tropical. Anytime.
- Perth and the south-west are Zone 2. So September to May. Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and most of the southern half of the country are Zone 2 as well.
Product Details
- Variety. Salvia officinalis, "Common", heirloom.
- Seed count. Approximately 50 per packet.
- Companion plants. Beans, broccoli, carrots and lettuce.
- Packaging. Plain paper seed packet.
- Sourcing. Little Veggie Patch Co source their seed locally and in small batches.
- Interstate customers. Some states restrict the entry of seed and plant material. Check your own state's plant biosecurity rules if you are unsure.
Choose options
For Christmas, order by 16 December, or 18 December in WA. All dates
Our Take
Velvety, savoury sage for roasts and browned butter, with handsome purple flowers as a bonus. Perennial, evergreen and nearly impossible to kill once it is in, which we respect. Give it room: it wants 50cm to itself.
Pūrēly Organic
Good to know
Frequently asked
When should I sow sage in Perth?
Perth and the south-west are in Little Veggie Patch Co's Zone 2, temperate, so September to May. Zone 1 (cool) is September to April, and Zones 3 and 4 (subtropical and tropical) can sow anytime.
How much room does sage need?
50cm. It is a perennial evergreen shrub rather than a soft annual herb, and it will fill that space. Crowding it is the most common mistake.
How do I sow it?
Scatter the seeds along shallow trench lines at 0 to 1cm deep and keep them moist, not too wet, until they germinate, which takes about 3 to 4 weeks. Full sun is preferred, in free-draining soil with plenty of compost.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes. Little Veggie Patch Co recommend a good quality potting mix, and note that quality usually tracks price. Sage hates wet feet, so drainage matters more than the pot.
How many seeds are in a packet?
Approximately 50.
What grows well nearby?
Little Veggie Patch Co recommend beans, broccoli, carrots and lettuce.
Are the seeds chemically treated?
Little Veggie Patch Co do not say either way for their seed. They describe their garlic as grown on a chemical-free farm but make no equivalent statement about seed, and they publish no germination rate or packing date. We would rather tell you that than guess.
