Apple Sage

Did you know that the Jewish candelabra, call the Menorah, was designed or had influence for its design from the growth habit of the Apple Sage (Salvia pomifera). Being a member of the sage family, this herb is a deciduous plant that is native to Greece and grows wild in the mountains of Lebanon.

This herb looks like Common Sage that most of us are used to seeing, but the main difference is on its branching and fruit production. The characteristic fruit, which is located at the upper end of the flowerstalk, is not a fruit. The sage’s “apples” are actually large galls that have formed on the stalk. These galls are caused by the sting of wasps. This injury causes the plant tissue to form a callous around the infected area. This green gall gives the appearance of being an apple.

Nicknamed “pomme de sauge”(the gall of sage), these green apples have the taste of an immature apple. They are considered a delicacy and are sometimes glazed with sugar to be used as a sweetner.