Salvia aurea ‘Bookleaf’: A very dense form of Salvia aurea growing to 80cm -1mH with a dense growth habit and lovely terracotta flowers in early spring.
Salvia aurea ‘Bookleaf’: produces leaves that appear as a book leaf. To get this effect, it helps if the plant is grown hard.
Flowers: are slightly smaller than the parent. Coloured in a different shade of terracotta. The hood is still large but thinner. Beautiful markings are seen on the lower lip of the flower.
Calyces: are small, vase shaped with the outer lips being coloured; these remain on the bush for ages, giving the appearance of the shrub still in flower. Flowering begins in late winter through to summer.
Leaves: are small, grey and round, undulating, often curled around the next leaf. They appear in opposite pairs down the stem, very close together, hence the name ‘Bookleaf’. Grown in too much shade, the leaves grow more sparsely along the stem, loosing the “bookleaf” effect.
Salvia aurea ‘Bookleaf’: is a good shrub for those hot spots in the garden where very little else grows. It must have full sun to keep it’s shape. Grow this dense growing Salvia with other silver and grey shrubs, in an informal border in a hot open, sunny position.
This shrub clips very well, so can be grown as a small hedge, like most of the other S. aurea varieties.
Clean out and tidy up the shrub by cutting out any dead or twiggy branches and stems. If the plant does need cutting right back, then cut down to a good green bud at the base of the stem.
Mulch well to keep the roots cool over the hot summer months.
S. ‘Bookleaf’: is a tough hardy shrub for the dry summer heat, winter cold and frost tolerate.
This is a good plant for bees, moths, and other small insects.
S. aurea ‘Bookleaf’ is easily propagated by taking tip cuttings of new growth which can be taken most of the year.
Not generally available.