Can You Use Common Sage for Smudging?

Garden or common sage will do the trick, too. Other smudging plants to use include cedar, sweetgrass, and sagebrush. Various herbs and wildflowers make as wonderful additions to your smudge stick. Resinous herbs you may have laying around that you can use include thyme, yarrow, lavender, rosemary, and pine.

What kind of sage is used for smudging?

White sage is probably the most common and popular herb for smudging. Each have their own unique qualities. For example, blue sage is often used in cleansing and healing rituals, while desert sage is used more for purifying and protection.

Why you shouldn't use white sage?

For Hopkins, the appropriation of white sage is made worse because the plant is often not being harvested correctly. “When using medicinal plants, it's important that the plant is used sustainably. ... If someone is harvesting white sage and doesn't know to leave the root, they're preventing more plants from growing.