White sage, also known as bee sage or sacred sage, is a shrub plant native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico (mainly Southern California and Baja California). Native Americans have widely used white sage for food, healing, and ceremonial purposes. The Chumash people used the stems and leaves as a traditional food. For healing, many tribes used the seeds to remove foreign objects from the eyes. White sage is also used as an incense during ceremonies, and used in the ancient tradition of smudging (which many view as cultural appropriation from “mainstream” use by non-Native peoples). Learn more about this sacred plant here.