You can burn a wide range of dried herbs, wood, and resins as alternatives to sage. Popular options include rosemary, lavender, cedar, juniper, mugwort, thyme, sweetgrass, and cinnamon sticks, along with tree resins like frankincense, myrrh, and copal. Each produces a distinct scent and has its own traditional uses, so the best choice depends on what you’re looking for.
Why People Look Beyond White Sage
White sage (the species most commonly sold for smudging) has faced growing pressure from commercial overharvesting. The Chumash and other California Indigenous peoples have raised concerns about the disrespectful mass collection of wild white sage for retail sale. While the plant is available from native plant nurseries, much of what’s sold online is wild-harvested at unsustainable rates. That concern, combined with a desire for variety and different scents, has pushed many people toward the dozens of other plants that burn just as well.
Dried Herbs You Can Bundle and Burn
These are the closest substitutes for a sage bundle. You dry them, tie them into a stick or place loose leaves in a fireproof dish, and light them the same way you would sage.
Rosemary is one of the most accessible options. It’s easy to grow or find at a grocery store, dries quickly, and burns with a warm, piney scent. Inhaling rosemary aroma has been linked to improved cognitive function and reduced anxiety in clinical research, including a 2024 study on elderly participants that found measurable gains in sleep quality and mental sharpness after four weeks of regular exposure.
Lavender produces a lighter, floral smoke that’s especially popular for relaxation. That same study found lavender inhalation improved sleep quality and lowered anxiety levels on par with rosemary. Dried lavender bundles are widely available, and the stems hold together well when bound into a stick.
Garden sage (the common culinary herb) is a different species from white sage but works perfectly well for burning. It has a slightly sharper, more herbaceous smell and is easy to grow in most climates.
Mugwort has a long history in European and East Asian traditions. It produces a thick, earthy smoke and is sometimes used before sleep because of its reputation for vivid dreaming. It grows abundantly across North America and Europe, making it one of the most sustainable choices on this list.
Thyme, basil, and mint all burn cleanly when fully dried. Thyme has a subtle, slightly medicinal scent. Basil is sweeter and greener. Mint and spearmint produce a cool, bright smoke that dissipates quickly, making them good choices for smaller rooms.
Other dried herbs worth trying include chamomile, lemon balm, eucalyptus, marjoram, dill, mullein, fennel, and dried rose petals. Cinnamon sticks and whole cloves can be added to any herb bundle for a warmer, spicier scent.
Woods and Needles
Cedar is one of the most widely used alternatives, particularly in Indigenous North American traditions. Cedar is burned during sweat lodge ceremonies and prayers, and its golden, woodsy smoke carries a clean, forest-like scent. You can burn small chips, shavings, or dried leaf bundles. When boiled rather than burned, cedar also works as a way to scent and humidify indoor air without producing smoke at all.
Juniper has a sharp, resinous smell similar to gin. The dried needles and small branch tips burn steadily and produce a brisk, clearing smoke. Like cedar, juniper grows across much of North America and is easy to harvest sustainably.
Pine needles can be bundled and burned, though they tend to crackle and burn faster than broader-leafed herbs. The smoke is bright and sharp, with a strong evergreen character.
Palo santo is worth mentioning because it’s so popular, but it comes with real sustainability concerns. Peru has classified the tree as critically endangered at the national level, and conservation groups in Ecuador have discussed proposing international trade protections. Much of the palo santo on the market comes from opaquely sourced informal commerce, and despite marketing claims that only naturally fallen wood is collected, the reality involves active felling of live trees with chainsaws. If you choose palo santo, sourcing matters enormously, and many people prefer to skip it entirely.
Resins: Frankincense, Myrrh, and Copal
Resins are a different category from dried herbs. They’re the hardened sap of certain trees, and they burn longer and produce thicker, more aromatic smoke. The tradeoff is that they need a heat source, since you can’t simply light them with a match the way you would a sage bundle.
The standard method is to use a charcoal disc (sold at most shops that carry incense supplies). Light the disc on a fireproof surface and wait until it starts turning white around the edges, then place a few small pieces of resin on top. A little goes a long way. The resin will smolder continuously for up to an hour without needing attention.
Frankincense has a rich, slightly sweet, balsamic scent. It’s one of the oldest aromatics in human history, used across Middle Eastern, African, and South Asian traditions. It’s a popular choice for meditation because it burns slowly and steadily.
Myrrh is deeper and earthier than frankincense, with a slightly bitter edge. The two are often burned together.
Copal comes from trees in Mexico and Central America. It has a lighter, brighter scent than frankincense, almost citrusy. Copal is technically not quite hard enough to be a true resin and not soft enough to be sap, which gives it a unique texture. It’s been used in Mesoamerican ceremony for centuries.
You can also find dragon’s blood resin (deep red, slightly sweet), benzoin (vanilla-like), and amber resin, all of which work on a charcoal disc the same way.
Does Burning Herbs Actually Clean the Air?
There is some evidence behind the idea. A study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology tested medicinal smoke from a traditional Indian herbal mixture and found it reduced airborne bacteria by over 94% within one hour in a closed room. The air remained cleaner for up to 24 hours. Certain pathogenic bacteria were still absent from the room 30 days later, even after the room had been opened.
That said, this was a specific multi-herb formulation burned in a controlled setting, not a casual wave of a smudge stick through your living room. The antibacterial effects of casually burning a single herb are likely much more modest. What you can count on is the aromatic benefit and the ritual value of the practice.
Keeping Smoke Exposure Safe
Any burning plant material produces particulate matter and volatile organic compounds, including benzene, toluene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Lab testing has shown that some types of incense produce benzene levels well above indoor air quality guidelines. This doesn’t mean you should never burn herbs, but it does mean ventilation matters.
Open a window or door while you burn anything indoors. This dilutes airborne pollutants quickly and significantly reduces your exposure. Keep sessions short rather than letting herbs or resins smolder for extended periods in a sealed room. If you have asthma or other respiratory conditions, you may want to stick with shorter burns, use resins (which produce less volume of smoke per session), or consider alternatives like simmering herbs in water on the stove, which releases aromatic compounds without combustion byproducts.
Practical Tips for Burning Herbs
Dry your herbs thoroughly before burning. Fresh or partially dried herbs will smolder unevenly and produce harsh, acrid smoke. Most herbs need one to two weeks of air drying, hung upside down in a warm spot with good airflow.
For loose herbs that don’t hold together in a bundle, use a fireproof bowl or abalone shell. Light a small pinch, let it catch, then blow out the flame so it smolders. You can also sprinkle loose dried herbs onto a charcoal disc the same way you would resin.
Herbs that bundle well for smudge sticks include rosemary, garden sage, mugwort, lavender, cedar, and juniper. Softer plants like mint, chamomile, and rose petals work better as loose additions mixed into a bundle or scattered over charcoal. Cinnamon sticks and whole cloves can be placed directly on a charcoal disc or tucked into an herb bundle before drying.