White Sage or Grandfather Sage
(Salvia apiana) - Growing information
Redwood City Seed Company, P.O. Box 361, Redwood
City, CA 94064
(650) 325-7333 - Craig Dremann, owner.
Get a printed copy of our seed catalog in the mail here.
AND>>>Our Seed List
On-line, that includes White Sage seed is HERE.
White Sage or Grandfather Sage,
known botanically as Salvia apiana
is a native shrub that only grows naturally in coastal California
from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border.
All of the dried white sage bundles
that are used each year, are wildcrafted from the wild shrubs.
Each bundle represents about one year's growth for the shrub during
normal rainfall years, which is about 10 inches.
However, the shrub can easlily be grown
as a container plant anywhere in the USA, as long as you bring
the plants in when temps. drop below 25 deg. F., and set them
back out when night temps. go back into the 40s.
Plants "bonsai" themselves
to fit in any sized container you wish to grow them in, and 2-3
gallons would keep the plants in-bounds, and would be a generous
size.
Seeds for planting are also harvested
from the wild shrubs in California, and the germination rate ranges
from 10 to 50% after four weeks in potting soil in a plastic pot
outside in the shade.
An old White Sage plant in the wild in Southern California
near Santa Barbara, about 2 feet tall and 6 feet across.
Sow seeds in a plastic 8 inch diameter
pot with potting soil and cover only
1/4 inch and keep constantly moist outside, and never let the
surface dry out. Seeds should be spaced about 1/4 inch apart,
and only expect 10-50% germination. Within 30 days, you should
see seedlings about 1/2 inch tall and 2 inches wide.
Seedlings coming up after 30 days. Carefully dig up seedlings
and transplant them into to their own individual 4 inch pots.
Keep transplanting plants into larger and larger containers as
they grow.
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Updated December 22, 2022