Essential Oils of Cultivars of Dalmatian Sage (Salvia officinalisL.)

The essential oils of eight cultivars of Dalmatian sage (Salvia officinalis L.) from the horticultural trade in North America were compared with the commerical sage oils. Based upon the four principal (” 10%) constituents in previous reports, these cultivars fell into five groups: 1) camphor < α-thujone > 1, 8-cineole > β-thujone (‘Berggarten,’ Icterina'); 2) camphor > α-thujone > β-thujone > 1, 8-cineole (‘Tricolor,’ ‘Woodcote Farm’); 3) β-thujone > camphor > 1, 8-cineole > α-thujone (‘Albiflora’); 4) 1, 8-cineole > camphor > α-thujone > β-thujone (‘Compacta’); and 5) α-thujone > camphor > β-thujone > 1, 8-cineole (‘Purpurascens,’ ‘Rubriflora’). While Dalmatian sage oils vary widely and are composite mixtures, ‘Rubriflora’ is the best overall choice with 5.3% l, 8-cineole, 27.1% α-thujone, 6.2% β-thujone, and 18.5% camphor.