4" Californian White Sage Smudge Stick / Bundle

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The article is based on an interview with Kaya DeerInWater an assistant at the CPN community garden. DeerInWater notes that agricultural industry producers of Salvia apiana centered in Southern California aren’t growing the plant sustainably. They harvest “entire hillsides and large acreages at a time to meet customer demand.” He adds that this clear-cutting of the plants at their base doesn’t allow for continued growth. When container planting, never use regular garden soil. Choose a sterilized “soilless” potting mix that contains organic matter but is free of pathogens, weed seed, and toxins. “Low fertility” sages like Salviaapiana prefer a mix with minimal nitrogen. Also, avoid high sand or vermiculite content. Although sand drains well, it doesn’t provide the good aeration Salvia apiana roots need to breathe well. Vermiculite is great for aeration, but it retains too much moisture for low-water plants. Native activists have mostly tried to curb the over-exploitation of white sage through public education and pressuring commercial users and retailers. They have had some success—albeit usually with people who were already inclined to care. “I spoke to a man from the Tohono O’odham Nation in Arizona who’d been using white sage,” says Ramirez. “He was flabbergasted—in total pain. He didn’t know.”

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Pollinators love mint family plants, particularly Salvias, which are also referred to as the “true sages.” When in bloom, Salvia apiana is a busy, buzzy species that attracts hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and other insect pollinators. A Tale of Two Sages & Smudging Controversy Two kinds of fragrant, drought-resistant plants are known as White Sage — Salvia apiana and Artemisia ludoviciana. Whereas Salvia apiana is a member of the mint-family ( Laminaceae) that is only native to California and Baja, Mexico, Artemisia ludoviciana is part of the aster family ( Asteraceae). Most of North America is home to A. ludoviciana, which is sometimes called White Sagebrush. According to the late Tongva elder and cultural educator Barbara Drake, centuries of colonization have made it impossible to fully know how important white sage was in historical Native Californian foodways. But from European texts, oral traditions, and some surviving practices, we do know that Native Californians had incredibly varied diets based upon careful management of wild plants and game. They ate mesquite pods and agave leaves, wild cherries and berries, and every bit of the cactus. And acorns. So many acorns. Mashed into jellies, cooked into porridge, or ground into flour. Gilberto Morales, a chef in Baja California who works with local Kumeyaay ingredients and techniques, has called acorns “the rice, or the wheat” of the region. After all, would it be okay if the Christian-communion ritual of dipping bread or wafer-like hosts in a wine filled chalice began trending at dinner parties or cultural events like art shows?

This sage grows slowly, so you can expect it to take two to three years to reach a maximum size of about 36 inches wide and tall. When in bloom from spring to summer, its height can reach 60 inches. Salvia apiana is a small, upright shrub with little branching. Its whitish green leaves, which grow in tight basal rosettes, are stiff and just a bit fleshy. This succulence, coupled with the leaves’ habit of folding down during drought, help the plant survive long dry spells. Sage is a cleansing and purifying herb and can be used to help break up feelings of negativity. Traditionally, it's regarded as being able to open people up and bring about the ability to have a greater connection with the sacred world. White Sage survived the California Mission system’s introduction of large herds of cattle in the 1700s. Although the cattle probably weren’t inclined to forage on White Sage (deer also dislike its strong resins), they trampled the plant’s habitat and caused it to decrease. As it grows, White Sage develops a wide, spreading root system. So be careful when digging soil near it to fill in the landscape with annuals or other perennials.

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Some Roman Catholic Churches attended by Native Americans regularly use smudging in religious services according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Native American Catholics. The Conference’s report, Native American Catholics at Millennium, was published in 2000 and can be accessed here. Other reasons why White Sage is uncommon in the nursery trade include it not being well adapted to most of North America. To succeed in with it, you need to closely follow the information about growing conditions in our Guide to Growing Sacred White Sage. White Sage ( Salvia apiana) is a shrub that is endemic to low elevations of the coast, hills, and valleys of Southern California and Baja, Mexico. These areas have Mediterranean-style climates where winters are wet, summers are dry, and temperatures are moderate year-round.

We grow fourtypes of White Sage at FBTS, includingtwopopular hybrids. Here are links to the plant descriptions, which include detailed information about their characteristics: To this day, Southern California tribes still use Salvia apiana for smudging, a spiritual practice in which they burn fragrant leaves from the plant — singly or in bundles with other plant materials — to create sacred smoke during purification and healing ceremonies. Historically, Southern California native peoples also relied on it for basket-making material, food, and medicine. That’s happened a lot,” she adds. The appropriation of white sage and smudging in New Age beliefs has led to unsustainable demand. Salvia apiana is perennial within USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 8 to 11. Although some sources list it as tolerating Zone 7, which has an average annual minimum temperature of 0 degrees F, we are more confident in its ability to withstand the Zone 8 average minimum of 10 degrees F. Of course, temperature is just one of many factors affecting winter survival. Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.