Almost always growing within the sound of the sea, Cretan sage is taller and more showy than the commoner sage (S. fruticosa). Sprigs of young leaves are collected to make herbal tea but  alternative English name apple sage and common Greek milofakia (μηλοφακιά) refer not to the aroma or flavour of the herb but the plants propensity to form apple-like galls.

The pale pinky-mauve flowers are rather floppy and wilt quickly; they are surrounded by a collar-like calyx, which continues to enlarge as the fruits develop.