Q: Are all varieties of salvia (sage) edible? I purchased May Night salvia and it smells elegant.

A: There are hundreds of members of the salvia family but only a few are considered edible. Ornamental salvias, like ‘May Night’, tricolor salvia and annual salvia, are not edible. They’re not poisonous, but they’re nothing you’d want to put in soup. The edible salvias are usually referred to as sage, like the Salvia officinalis you use to flavor roasted chicken and turkey. Russian sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia, despite its name, is not a salvia and is not edible but has a strong fragrance.