Description
Phlomis –
There are about 100 species of low growing, sage like herbaceous perennials and evergreen shrubs or sub shrubs in the Lamiaceae family, in this genus. They occur in rocky sites in Europe, Northern Africa, Mediterranean and Asia. It produces opposite, smooth edged, lance shaped to ovate, light to gray green, often with stairs shaped hairs. They are grown for their foliage and showy, tubular, deadnettle like, often hooded, 4 stamen, white, yellow, or lilac flowers, held in dense, axillary whorls of 2 to 40 blooms on tall, erect stems, they are effective massed in a border. Where marginally hardy, grow against a wall. P. lanata is suitable for a rock garden. In winter, seed heads of herbaceous species may be left for their ornamental effect.
Grow in any fertile, well drained soil in full sun. They are drought tolerant and best in an open position where foliage can dry out after rain. Divide perennials in spring.
Prone to leafhoppers.
P. italica – This upright, evergreen shrub from the Balearic Islands grows 12″ tall and 24″ wide. It produces lance shaped, gray woolly sometime shallowly toothed leaves, to 2″ long. In mid summer it bears lilac pink flowers, 1″ long held in widely spaced 6 flowered whorls.
Zones 9-11
