Why growing white sage can benefit your garden, pollinators, and the region – San Bernardino Sun
With a habitat that covers much of Southern California and extends into Baja California, white sage is essential to the region. Scented shrubs attract pollinators. Its seeds provide food for some birds and its foliage can provide shelter for small animals. It also holds profound significance for many Native Americans in Southern California, where it is used medicinally, culturally, and spiritually.
Right now, however, the White sage is in a precarious position. Human development leaves no room for plants to grow and the global trend to burn it as incense and use it in scented products has led to unsustainable harvesting practices and poaching.
However, there are a few things many Southern Californians can do to help white sage thrive. You can grow it at home. “Self-growing is the best way to propagate and protect wild populations,” said Diego Cordero, lead environmental technician for the Santa Ynez Chumash Office of the Environment.
There are many benefits to bringing white sage into your outdoor space. One is the creatures it will attract. “When it blooms, it will be amazing,” says Cordero. “You will see native insects that you have never seen before. They love it. ”
For those worried about Southern California pollinator populations, growing white sage is a great way to make your garden them-friendly. Cordero points out that, while all native flowering plants benefit local pollinators, sage is particularly useful in this regard. “Because they produce prolific numbers of flowers, they actually attract more pollinators than you might think,” he said.
Equally important is that, by growing your own white sage, you can help replenish populations that have been depleted by careless human action.
When you think of plant poaching, your mind may jump Susan Orlean’s 1998 bestseller “The Orchid Thief,” but the problem extends beyond that particular flower. For the California Native Plants Association, plant poaching is a problem they are working to solve. They have been actively building support for AB 223, California’s bill to protect dudleya that was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in September.
“This is a problem in our relationship with nature, the idea that wild species easily become commodities,” said Nick Jensen, conservation program director for the California Native Plants Association. . “In many ways, it puts plants at risk for the benefit of a few.”
Following the success of Operation dudleya, CNPS collaborated with Native American groups in Southern California to address issues surrounding white sage. Situations are a little different. Dudleya poaching, however, is largely tied to the sale of the plant outside of the United States. From what observers are seeing, wild white sage is widely used for items such as popsicle sticks. Stains can be found anywhere from online retailers to local brick and mortar stores.
“The picture we have is that much of the sage you find in these places is taken from our forests,” said David Bryant, education director of the CNPS. CNPS.
“For decades, California natives especially, have been very upset about the cultural appropriation of the white sage,” says Native American artist Rose Ramirez of Temecula. Ramirez has long collaborated with San Diego County artist and professor Deborah Small to document the use of Southern California native plants in Native American communities. As part of their ongoing work, they studied and documented the impact of harvesting wild white sage for commercial use.
“It is really difficult for people to understand the international demand for white sage. It has probably escalated over the last three or four years, with social media driving global demand for white sage,” said Small.
There are steps anyone can take to help prevent improper harvesting of white sage. “First of all, don’t buy it, unless you know where you get it from the grower,” says Ramirez. She added to ensure that the tree is grown sustainably. “Not sustainably harvested, because there really is no such thing when it comes to white sage,” says Ramirez. “There is no way to sustainably harvest it from the wild, not for commercial use.”
“Another aspect, from the Indigenous point of view, is that a lot of times having a patch is healthy and it’s actually healthy because it’s being taken care of by someone,” says Cordero. “There was actually someone, usually Native American, who was harvesting and collecting it and doing it in a way that allowed the plant to grow during the harvest. That is a very conscientious way. They don’t do it for commercial reasons. “
In contrast, what people are observing with the commercial harvesting of wild white sage is that large numbers of trees are cut down, sometimes at critical times of the year, threatening even the success of the plant. of the plant itself and the fragile ecosystem of which it is a part. . With that in mind, you should avoid harvesting wild white sage unless you are a Native American ritual practitioner. “It is very difficult to control ethical harvesting when so many people care about it,” says Cordero.
For those looking to grow white sage around their own home, Cordero has some advice. First, note that this is a plant that can work in the ground or in a container garden.
“When they’re really small, if you’re starting from seed, you’ll want to protect them, keeping them in a bit more shade,” says Cordero. “As the plant matures, if it’s potted, you can definitely move it to full or partial sun. They are a shrub that grows in really hot and sunny places, so they will do well in full sun. “
If you’re growing white sage in the ground, you won’t need to worry about over-watering it after the first few years of its life. “It’s a greasy shrub that’s adapted to this climate,” says Cordero. “At the very least, you’ll want to give it a little extra water from time to time during the summer.”
For potted white sage, you’ll need to monitor the plant a little more carefully. “They’ll start to wilt if they’re bone-dry, especially in the summer heat,” says Cordero. You’ll also want to be mindful of over-watering your plants.
Pruning is also good for white sage, whether or not you plan to use this plant for any purpose at home. Usually, you’ll want to do this after the plant has flowered and its seed stalks dry, says Cordero, adding that pruning will help keep the new plant growing from tangling. “It will be more bushy after you prune it,” he says.
Growing white sage can help provide solutions to the problems this plant faces. But as Bryant of the California Native Plant Society notes, it’s also an “obvious choice” for Southern California gardens. “It is a great candidate to consider for your yard, because of its beauty, its ecological importance, its cultural context,” he said.
https://www.sbsun.com/2022/01/17/why-growing-white-sage-can-benefit-your-garden-pollinators-and-the-region/ Why growing white sage can benefit your garden, pollinators, and the region – San Bernardino Sun