13 Types of Sage to Grow for Culinary Uses

Sage is a versatile and flavorful herb that every cook should have in their kitchen. But with over 900 species in the Salvia genus, it can be confusing to know which types of sage are best for cooking. Here are 13 of the top culinary varieties of sage and their uses:

1. Common Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Common sage is the most common type. It has soft, broad, gray-green leaves that taste earthy and slightly bitter. It is a must-have for seasoning meats, beans, cheeses, stuffings, and fatty foods. Dried common sage has an even more pronounced flavor. For the best food quality, look for the cultivars “Berggarten” and “Purpurascens.”

2. Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans)

This tender perennial has bright red flowers and leaves that smell like pineapple. It makes food taste sweet and fruity. Its milder flavor is great for desserts, fruit salads, sangrias, and teas. Pineapple sage is also a beautiful plant to put in your garden. Grow it in containers to overwinter indoors.

3. Greek Sage (Salvia fruticosa)

This Mediterranean plant has slightly thicker leaves and a stronger mint-pine flavor. It is sometimes called Turkish sage. You can season lamb with it, make strong cheeses like feta, and use it in Greek recipes. The cultivar ‘Tricolor’ has showy pink and white variegated foliage.

4. Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)

Clary sage has very large, textured leaves and an earthy, nutty flavor with floral notes. It excels at flavoring eggnogs, sorbets, wine, vermouths, and liqueurs. Its flowers and leaves are also used in perfumery. Be sure to get culinary clary sage, not ornamental varieties.

5. Fruit-Scented Sage (Salvia dorisiana)

This unusual sage from Mexico smells like peaches and apricots and adds a nice sweetness to drinks, salsas, fruit or pork dishes. Its fruity aroma also makes fruit-scented sage a fantastic garnish. Protect it from frost by overwintering indoors.

6. Lyre-Leaf Sage (Salvia lyrata)

Also called cancer weed or purple sage, this wild species has deeply lobed, lyrata-shaped leaves. Milder than common sage, it works well in salads, soups, vegetarian dishes, and anywhere you want a delicate sage tone. Hardy to zone 6, lyre-leaf sage grows up to 3 feet tall.

7. Purple Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’)

This lovely ornamental cultivar has broad leaves tinged in purple hues. It looks gorgeous planted en masse in borders and adds rich color when chopped finely to cream sauces, aiolis, or herb butters for its mild sage flavor. Since it’s merely a variety of common sage, purple sage offers the same versatility in cooking.

8. Painted Sage (Salvia viridis)

A standout for its bold magenta bracts and pale blue flowers, painted sage is another milder sage that adds pretty color to salads, pastas, vinegars, and garnishes. The young leaves and bracts are the most tender for eating fresh. This annual sage also reseeds readily.

9. Tricolor Sage (Salvia officinalis ‘Tricolor’)

This variegated sage has green leaves delicately brushed with white and pink markings. It has the same robust, woodsy flavor as common sage but looks much prettier chopped up in dishes. Tricolor sage also makes a beautiful landscape plant.

10. Berggarten Sage (Salvia officinalis ‘Berggarten’)

Considered one of the best cooking sages, Berggarten has extremely large, silvery leaves on a compact plant. It’s slower growing than common sage but has an even more intense sage aroma and flavor. Use it to make a knock-out sage butter.

11. Golden Sage (Salvia officinalis ‘Icterina’)

Golden sage brightens up any dish with its green and gold marbled leaves. It has the same camphor notes as common sage but looks much more ornamental. Use it as an edible garnish or mix it into stuffings, omelets, pestos, and more.

12. Grapefruit Sage (Salvia dorisiana)

As its name suggests, this Mexican species has an astonishing grapefruit scent paired with a gentle floral sage flavor. Use it to lend a citrusy twist to fish, chicken, fruit desserts, and sangria. Its succulent leaves also hold up well when fried or sauteed.

13. Pineapple Mint Sage (Salvia elegans ‘Golden Delicious’)

This gorgeous pineapple sage variety has chartreuse and gold foliage that makes a stunning garnish. It smells intensely of pineapple with a mild, cooling aftertaste. Use it to make fruit salsas, desserts, and beverages burst with tropical fruit flavor.

With this array of culinary sages, you can match varieties to both cuisine and ornamental appeal. Grow a selection in your kitchen herb garden to discover your favorites. Remember to pinch off flowers to prolong leaf production. When cooking with these amazing sages, start with small amounts and add more to taste.