Medicinal Uses of Russian Sage

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.

Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), a popular landscaping perennial used all over Northern Nevada, is relatively new on the yard design scene.  It didn't get much notice until about the 1990s.  Reportedly, it thrives in a wide variety of conditions, hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9.  It sure as heck grows well here in our rotten soil and desert, and while I find it quite attractive, there is no way I'd ever plant it anywhere that I didn't want it spreading like some dread disease.  It will not stay where it belongs.  It also doesn't get much notice from herbalists, and despite its name, it is not a culinary herb.

While the flowers can be eaten in salads and used as a garnish, the leaves are a bit toxic if eaten.  Probably the best prepper usage of Russian sage is as a deer repellent and bee attractant.  Bees cover my Russian sage at least three months of the year.

However, it does have some limited use as medicine, in two ways, as an infusion or in steam inhalation.

INFUSION:  Steep one tablespoon of fresh leaves and flowers (or 1 teaspoon dried) for 15-30 minutes in a covered cup of boiling water.

• Drink cool or hot to relieve:
• upset stomach
• diarrhea
• dysentery
• Soak a washcloth in cooled infusion to:
• reduce fever--apply compress to forehead
• wash wounds

STEAM:  Bring a large pot of water with a handful of fresh or dried Russian sage to a boil.  Cover the head with a towel and lean over the pot of hot water with Russian sage.  Inhale the warm air deeply.  This will open blocked airways to relieve:

• colds and influenza
• bronchitis
• sinus headaches, including those due to barometric pressure change
• anxiety
• stress

Cautions:  Do not eat the leaves.  They are toxic.  However, the flowers are fine, and so is tea made from the leaves.

For further reading:

https://healthfully.com/309206-health-benefits-of-russian-sage.html
https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/russian-sage/



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