About Phlomis fruticosa L.
Phlomis fruticosa, commonly known as Jerusalem sage, is a flowering plant species belonging to the family Lamiaceae. It is native to Albania, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, and Turkey. This plant grows as a small evergreen shrub, reaching up to 1 m (3 ft) in height and 1.5 m (5 ft) in width. Its aromatic leaves resemble sage leaves: they are oval-shaped, 5–10 cm (2–4 inches) long, wrinkled, grey-green with white undersides, and covered in fine hairs. In summer, deep yellow tubular flowers that measure 3 cm long grow in whorls of 20 arranged on short spikes. The specific epithet fruticosa translates to "shrubby". Phlomis fruticosa is a popular ornamental plant, and has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in parts of South West England. It is classified as deer resistant, is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 11, and can tolerate a wide range of soil types.
