Meadow clary

Meadow clary: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Basal leaf rosette with upright, sparsely branched flower stems about 60 cm tall; about 40 cm wide.

Leaves

Large, oval to oblong, 7–15 cm, wrinkled and with a scalloped edge; mainly in the rosette at the base.

Flower

Two-lipped flowers 2–3 cm long in whorls along the stem, with a large, sickle-shaped upper lip, from May to July.

Colour

Bright violet-blue to violet; pink and white forms too.

Stem

Square and hairy, typical of the mint family.

Roots

A deep taproot that makes it drought-tolerant but difficult to move.

Flowering: May–July · Harvest and fruit: April–July · Sowing: March–May · Plants: March–May and September · Pruning: March and July

Why grow it?

• Intense violet-blue flowers from May to July, often with a second flush if you cut back after the first.
• A top plant for bumblebees and bees.
• Native and suitable for wildflower meadows, dykes and dry, chalky gardens.
• Very drought-tolerant thanks to its deep taproot.
• Needs no fertiliser and little water: a plant for poor soil.

Meadow clary: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: in shade it flowers poorly and flops.
• Poor, well-drained sandy, loamy or clay soil, neutral to chalky.
• Dry: it does not tolerate wet feet in winter.
• Plant 30–40 cm apart, in groups of three or more, or among grasses in a wildflower meadow.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry

Size

0.6 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Ox-eye daisy: White daisies beside the blue: together a classic hay-meadow picture.
• Common knapweed: Purple knobs that take over the flowering in summer.
• Lady’s bedstraw: Fragrant yellow sprays in the same dry, chalky soil.
• Wild marjoram: Flowers next in summer and attracts butterflies.

Meadow clary: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September.

1. Plant in March–May or September.
2. Choose young plants: because of the taproot, large plants establish with difficulty.
3. Loosen the soil deeply; do not add compost or fertiliser. In heavy clay, mix in some coarse sand or grit.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot, 30–40 cm apart, and firm the soil.
5. Water in straight away and during dry spells for the first few weeks; after that hardly at all.
6. You can also sow: indoors in March, or outdoors where it is to flower in April–May.

Care

Watering

Only in dry spells in the first year. After that not at all.

Feeding

Never: in rich soil the stems go soft and it flowers less.

Cutting back

After the first flush, in July, cut the flower stems back to just above the rosette: a second, smaller flush often follows.

Seed

Leave a few stems to set seed if you want it to self-sow.

Mowing

In a wildflower meadow, mow only once the seed is ripe, usually from July, and remove the cuttings.

Tip: A wild sage of dry, chalky hay meadows. Give it full sun and poor soil and never feed it; cut it back to above the rosette after the first flush for a second flowering.

Meadow clary: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and July.

When: In July, after the first flush, cut the flower stems back. In March, clear away dead leaves and old stems.

How:

• In July, cut the faded stems back to just above the leaf rosette.
• Leave a few stems if you want to collect seed.
• In March, clear away dead leaves and old stem remains without damaging the new rosette.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow indoors in March, or outdoors where it is to flower in April–May, covering the seed thinly. It usually germinates readily; seedlings often flower from the second year.

Cuttings

In April–May: cut young 5–8 cm shoots at the base and root them in moist, gritty cutting compost.

Meadow clary: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −30 °C: no protection is needed.
• The leaf rosette stays partly green in mild winters.
• Heavy, waterlogged soil in winter is more dangerous than frost; make sure drainage is good.

Diseases and pests

• Slugs: They eat young rosettes and seedlings in spring. Pick them off in the evening.
• Flopping: Soft stems from overly rich soil, fertiliser or shade. Plant in a sunny, poor spot and do not feed.
• Root rot: Plants disappear after a wet winter in heavy soil. Plant in a well-drained spot.
• Powdery mildew: Sometimes white powder on the leaves in late summer. Cut off affected leaves; the plant usually recovers on its own.

Through the year

• March: Clear away dead leaves. Sow indoors. Plant.
• April: Plant. Sow outdoors.
• May: Flowering begins. Plant and sow outdoors.
• June: In full flower, busy with bumblebees and bees.
• July: After flowering, cut back to above the rosette. Collect seed.
• August: Sometimes a second flush. No watering needed.
• September: Plant.
• December: Rest. The rosette stays partly green.

Edible and useful

Flowers (May–July)

From May to July, pick the violet-blue, lipped flowers on a dry morning. Gently pull them out of the calyx: they taste sweet and mildly aromatic. Scatter them over a salad, a fruit salad or a dessert, or freeze them in ice cubes. Only take a few flowers per plant: meadow clary is a top plant for bumblebees and bees. If you cut it back after the first flowering, it often flowers a second time.

Leaves (April–June)

From April to June, pick a few leaves from the rosette. They smell of sage, but milder and a little more bitter than common sage. Use them sparingly, cooked or fried: in brown butter with pasta or gnocchi, or with pork, chicken or squash. Never take more than a few leaves per plant: the rosette must stay.

Storing

Use the flowers fresh; in a closed box with damp kitchen paper they keep for a day in the fridge. The leaves keep for a few days in the fridge, or dry them in a thin layer somewhere airy and out of the sun and keep them in a closed jar for six months.

Caution: Use meadow clary like common sage: in moderation, as a kitchen herb. Do not make it into a tea to drink every day, and not during pregnancy or breastfeeding; never swallow sage essential oil. People allergic to the mint family, such as mint, thyme or lavender, may also react to meadow clary. Only pick from your own plants: in the wild, meadow clary has become rare, and nothing is picked in nature reserves. Bought plants may have been treated: let them grow on for a few weeks first.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Gnocchi with brown butter and meadow clary (Dish · 2 people · 20 min)
• Summer salad with meadow clary flowers (Dish · 4 people · 15 min)

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The flower has a lever mechanism: when a bumblebee pushes against the base of the stamens, they swing down and dust pollen onto its back.
• The species name pratensis means ‘of meadows’.
• In much of western Europe it has become rare in the wild because flower-rich hay meadows have disappeared.