Mediterranean sage USDA PLANTS Symbol: SAAE
U.S. Nativity: Exotic
Habit: Forbs/Herbs
Salvia aethiopis L.
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Taxonomic Rank: Magnoliopsida: Lamiales: Lamiaceae
Synonym(s): African sage
Native Range: temp. Asia & Europe (GRIN);
Appearance
Salvia aethiopis is a biennial plant with square stems reaching up to 3 ft. (0.9 m) tall.
Foliage
Fine, woolly hairs cover the stems, new leaves and leaf undersides. Mature plants become less hairy and develop prominent venation on the leaves. Rosette leaves are grayish-green, petiolate and 4-12 in. (10.2-30.5 cm) long. Rosettes can be 1-4 ft. (0.3-1.2 m) in diameter. The stem leaves are opposite, smaller than the rosette leaves and aromatic (sage-like) when crushed. Leaves become smaller toward the apex of the stem.
Flowers
Flowering stems are highly branched and develop in June to August. The flowers are yellow to whitish and bilabiate (two lipped corolla).
Fruit
Four smooth nutlets with dark veins develop from each flower. Mature plants break off and become tumbleweeds, easily spreading as many as 100,000 seeds each.
Ecological Threat
S. aethiopis is typically found in degraded sagebrush communities, disturbed sites, fields, rangelands, roadsides and some agronomic crops. Mediterranean sage is a state-listed noxious weed in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The plant is native to Europe and may have been introduced in contaminated alfalfa seed.
Selected Images from Invasive.orgView All Images at Invasive.org


Plant(s); in flower
Eric Coombs, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Flower(s);
Eric Coombs, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org
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Infestation;
Eric Coombs, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Plant(s); rosette
Eric Coombs, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

Infestation;
Eric Coombs, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Plant(s); rosette
Lloyd Andres, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org
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Plant(s);
Vince Belleci, , Bugwood.org
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Seed(s);
Steve Hurst, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org
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EDDMapS Distribution:
This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts and records obtained from USDA Plants Database. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org 		 


State List
This map identifies those states that list this species on their invasive species list or law.
U.S. National Parks where reported invasive:
Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)


Invasive Listing Sources:
California Invasive Plant Council
Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
John Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Survey of TNC Preserves, 1995.
Pacific Northwest Exotic Pest Plant Council, 1998
WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States