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Clary or Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea) is a short-lived herbaceous perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to region from Central Asia to North Mediterranean, and can be found growing in England, France, and southern Russia for the perfume industry.
Clary is often grown as an ornamental plant in gardens and as a herb, where it is used in sauces and stuffing, much as other sages. Clary can grow to 1 meter tall when in flower. It dies back to basal rosette during winter. The leaves have woolly-texture, 10-20 cm long and 6-12 cm broad. White, pink, or pale purple flowers, 2.5-3.5 cm long, appear in a cluster of 2-6 on the stem. The bracts on the flowering stems have similar colors to the flowers, and oil bearing glands occur profusely on the flowering stems.
Clary has a strong and unusual odor, described as 'sweaty', 'spicy', or 'hay-like', and is considered unpleasant by some and very attractive to other. Distilled essential oil which contains the fragrant chemical compound sclareol, can be found in specialty stores or scent shops.
The leaves of clary plant are used as a vegetable. It can also used to flavor wine, especially muscatel, and some tobacco products.
