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BLACK SAGE
by Joanna, Sandra, Andrew W. and Thomas
Black sage is a coastal sage scrub plant. Its tiny, strong, dark green leaves smell like mint toothpaste. The Native Americans put these leaves all over their bodies so they wouldn't scare the animals away while hunting them. This plant can grow to be two meters tall with many oval-shaped leaves. The flowers are small and look like a mouse kissing somebody. They grow in tight bunches on the stem. The nectar from the black sage flower is used by bees to make yummy honey. The black seed pods look like a group of berries at the end of the stems. The Indians used them to make their meals. When shaken, the fruit sounds like a rattlesnake. Also, when it is windy, the seed stems wave in the air because they are not stiff.