I bought this herb today under the pretense of it being white sage.
I've been investigating images of white sage variations since returning home and haven't been able to confirm if it is really white sage or not, and am wary as I will be using it for consumption.
Would anybody possibly be able to confirm or deny if this is indeed white (or any variation of) sage?
Based on the picture, I'd say it's not sage, because the stems aren't rectangular; sage is in the Mint family and has rectangular stems, with fragrant leaves. The fact that the stems are so woody is also concerning (if it's sage, they must have been harvesting pretty low). Sage normally comes without stems, when you buy it for culinary use.
Some other plants smell similar to sage (and even have 'sage' as part of their name), and they may not be safe for consumption.
'White sage' can mean two different plants - Salvia apaina or Artemisia ludoviciana. The first is a member of the mint family and will have square stems, but the second is a member of the daisy (Asteraceae) family and will not.
Regardless of that, I wouldn't expect to see such chunky bits of woody stem in something sold as white sage, so I'd be somewhat reluctant to eat it, though it's probably safe for burning, which is the more common use for dried white sage.
