Salvia africana-lutea by the sea at Onrus

The strandsalie (beach salvia), or Salvia africana-lutea, has grey-green hairy, aromatic leaves. They have been used in hot water as a medicine for chest complaints and more. These leaves also feature in home potpourri mixes and as a relish in cooking fish.

The plant fares well in frost free coastal gardens, but will resprout from the rootstock after frost damage in inland gardens.

S. africana-lutea is a coastal plant found all the way from Namaqualand coast to Port Alfred. It grows among coastal vegetation, often on the dunes, but also in some arid fynbos in the Western Cape (Manning and Goldblatt, 1996; www.plantzafrica.com).