| Phlomis fruticosa | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Phlomis |
| Species: | P. fruticosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Phlomis fruticosa | |
Phlomis fruticosa, the Jerusalem sage, [1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to Albania, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and Turkey.
It is a small evergreen shrub, up to 1 m (3 ft) tall by 1.5 m (5 ft) wide. The sage-like, aromatic leaves are oval, 5–10 cm (2-4ins) long, wrinkled, grey-green with white undersides, and covered with fine hairs. Deep yellow, tubular flowers, 3 cm in length, grow in whorls of 20 in short spikes in summer. [2]
The specific epithet fruticosa means "shrubby". [3]
It is popular as an ornamental plant, and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [4] [5]
As a garden escape, it has naturalised in parts of South West England. [6]
It is listed as deer resistant,[ citation needed ] hardy in zones 7 to 11,[ citation needed ] and tolerant of a range of soil types.
Media related to Phlomis fruticosa at Wikimedia Commons