Salvia Apiana

I consider Salvia apiana the queen of California Native Sages. I installed 3 of them in the garden and 1 hybrid Salvia apiana "Desperado". The unusual summer heat brought an extremely high number of foreign moths in the garden. The larvae defoliated most of the salvias and some are still in critical conditions.
Native Americans had several uses for this plant: seeds were ground into a flour and used for mush; leaves were used for flavoring in cooking; leaves were also eaten, smoked or used in a sweathouse as a remedy for colds; seeds were dropped into the eye and permitted to roll around under the eyelids in order to cleanse the eyes; and leaves were crushed and mixed with water to create a hair shampoo, dye and straightener.
White sage can also be made into a tea, which decreases sweating, salivation, and mucous secretions in the sinuses, throat, and lungs. Cold tea can be a good stomach tonic, while a lukewarm tea is good for treating sore throats.
White sage is considered sacred by many Native Americans since it is used to make smudge wands, a type of incense. White sage is believed to cleanse a space of any evil spirits that may be present. This power is said to be released from the plant by the burning of the leaves, which are typically bundled into a wand or stick. Today many Native American tribes still use the stems and leaves for smudging as part of purification ceremonies.