Phlomis can be such fine plants year-round, with many kinds suited for gardens colder than my zone 10 garden.
The familiar Jerusalem sage, Phlomis russeliana, is hardy to 0-10F. Mine came labeled as P. aurea, but it’s not showing much of a chartreuse cast to the leaf. Though phlomis are renowned for being sun-lovers, this one is obviously enjoying winter’s cooler temperatures and intermittent rain. With pink flowers, it’s most likely P. italica, which is what I called it in a June Bloom Day post. I appreciate the staying power of the subshrubs. It’s already apparent that the scabiosa in bloom in June are no more, as is the rehmannia, the catanache, the Lysimachia purpurea, and I haven’t planted much to replace them. I pulled the gaillardia to give its spot to a grevillea.
Looks like 2011 is sizing up for a very meager June Bloom Day post.
Phlomis are tough plants but not without issues. A phlomis grown in the gravel garden in near-xeric conditions collected scale in its leaf axils during the summer but is shrugging them off as summer’s stressed growing conditions recede. And I do think phlomis would prefer better circulation than I give them. Some plants don’t mind tight quarters, but not this one.
This is one my favorite perennials. I have had Phlomis fruticosa for over 10 years, which is long lived for a perennial in my garden. This past year half of it died, but I have not figured out why, perhaps due to one of our wetter periods. However, I noticed it set seed, a seed to be precise, and I now have a juvi.
Denise, I have admired Phlomis for years , but size restrictions have kept me from an installation here. My BILS had some beautiful specimens when they lived out on the coast in Mendo County, and rain was prevalent there, depressingly so some years. However, their property was in a ‘transitional’ forest area and drained spectacularly. I think I need to ponder the options here-
Hi Denise, This–tight quarters–could explain my less than stellar Phlomis performances. My problem is I want to grow everything so I site plants in less than ideal conditions. My one remaining phlomis gets one or two brief blossoms then sort of dies back to nothingness. Yours looks gorgeous in leaf despite the previous problems with scale. Nice photos!