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Biennial or short-lived perennial of the Lamiaceae family, clary sage is native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Central Asia, where it grows on dry rocky slopes, embankments, wastelands, and sunny roadsides, generally in calcareous and well-drained soil. It is naturalized in many regions of temperate Europe.
In the first year, it produces a large rosette of very large, oval-heart-shaped leaves, heavily wrinkled and pubescent, bright green, with a slightly sticky surface to the touch. In the second year, it raises robust, branched stems reaching 80 to 120 cm, bearing large persistent pink-lilac to whitish, papery bracts, which constitute the most spectacular element of the inflorescence and give it an unexpected lightness for a plant of this stature.
The bilabiate flowers are white-pink to pale lilac, with the upper lip distinctly arched. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from May to July. In cultivation, it generally occurs in June-July, depending on the regions.
It self-seeds abundantly and spontaneously, ensuring its longevity in the garden without special intervention. The essential oil extracted from its flowering tops, with a pronounced musky scent, is used in perfumery and flavoring. It thrives in drained, poor to ordinary soil, in full sun, and tolerates heat and summer drought well once established.