Golden Acre Home & Garden Centre's Plant Library

Other Names:  Jerusalem Sage

Ornamental Features

Sageleaf Mullein features bold spikes of lilac purple hooded flowers rising above the foliage from early to mid summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its serrated narrow leaves remain grayish green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Sageleaf Mullein is an herbaceous perennial with a rigidly upright and towering form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and may require the occasional pruning to look its best. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Sageleaf Mullein is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Sageleaf Mullein will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.