White sage which is also known as salvia apiana is mainly grown in Baja California and southern California. It is an evergreen plant that is native to Mexico and United States. White sage can also be found in Mojave and western edges of Sonoran desert. The plant mostly reaches the height of 1.3 meters to 1.5 meters. It has a very strong aroma and attracts large number of bees. The resins and oils in it produce the aroma. The flowers are whitish and sometimes pale.

There are around 750 kinds of herbs and in them white sage is considered to be the best for smudging objects or any person. The leaves of this plant should be dried and then kept in a fire proof bowl. It is best for smudging as it catches fire easily. The aroma that it produces helps in purifying the atmosphere around us. The smoke produced by white sage acts as a great cleansing agent. The smell produced when sage is burnt evokes peaceful thoughts and purifies the environment around us.

White sage can easily be grown in their native places, but it is very difficult to grow them out of their native places. But the aroma produced by them and since they purify the environment it can be considered as a worthfull effort. White sage should mainly be harvested in summer or during fall when the plants are their prime. All the leaves should not be picked up when people are harvesting, some leaves should be left as it divests the plant out of its resources. Once the leaves become supple, leathery and limp then it becomes safe to tie the stalks together in the traditional method, just like they are tied in a smudge stick. One must tie the base of stalks with a knot and wrap the strings tightly in a bundle. Then after harvesting they must be kept indoors and dried. If one does not wilt the leaves before bundling then they are risking the safety of the herbs. If the herbs are not wilted then too much moisture gets is locked inside them from the start and the herbs might start blackening. The bundle lasts for a year or two.

White sage is considered to the best herb for smudging. Other sages have broader application as medicine and spice. Garden sage is universally useful sage. The sage should be picked up before the plant dries out. Then rub the leaves through a screen to produce a fluffy ground sage that makes savory addition to roasted fowl or protein dishes. Garden sage is also a valuable antifungal and anti bacterial agent. Garden sage is also used specifically for drying up milk. These herbs stimulate memory.

Salvia apiana or the white sage is an evergreen plant that is native to the northwestern Mexico and United States. It is found mainly in the coastal areas of Baja California and Southern California, in the western edges of Sonoran desert and Mojave.

White sage is a shrub which grows till 1.3 to 1.5 meters tall and 1.3 meters wide. Its white evergreen leaves contain resins and oils that produce strong aroma when they are rubbed. The flowers attract large number of bees which is described by a specific epithet called apiana. Many flower stalks which are of 1 to 1.3 metres and sometimes pinkish in color grow above the foliage in spring. But the flowers are white to pale lavender. Of all the different kinds of sage true white sage is considered to be the best herb for smudging. Only few dried leaves of white sage which are curled up at the bottom of a shell get ignited very fast. After they are burnt they emit a cloud of white purifying smoke. The smell of white sage can invoke peaceful thoughts. It is very difficult to grow white sage out of their native country but since they bring peace and purify the atmosphere it is a worthfull effort to grow them.

When the white sage is grown in sand and soil they produce many thick leaved white sage wands. These can be harvested and dried for using later. In winter if there is heavy snowfall then the white sage can tend to get buried under snow and sometimes they are destroyed. But they grow nicely in spring and produce greenish white leaves. In summer many times the flower stalks tend to grow till 6 feet. The smell of white sage brings peace in the environment.

When sage is harvested in a green house their germination rate is around 10-15% and fire treating can help in producing better results. These days due to new home constructions the germination rate is diminishing and the development of white sage is being harmed. Domestication is a great way through which we can keep white sage viable on earth.

To cultivate white sage one must sow the seeds shallowly and water them once daily. Their average germination rate is 14 days. One must wait until the seedlings mature and then do transplanting with the second set of leaves. White sage grows well in a dry sunny exposure. It is important to have a proper drainage system. People must use thick mulch of shallow sand to improve heat retention. Selecting the right kind of soil and sun exposure is very important as it will improve overwintering.

One must harvest them in summers or during the fall when the sage is at its prime. All the leaves of white sage should not be picked. As it will divest the white sage plant from its resources. Once the leaves get supple, leathery and limp then it becomes safe to place several stalks together and tie them with a cotton string to make a proper smudge stick.