Photo of Phlomis purpurea form by Xemendura

Photo by Xemendura

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.1 Spain (CC BY-SA 2.1

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Phlomis purpurea

Also Known As

  • Purple Jerusalem Sage

Plant type

shrub, perennial

size

  • H: 2'-4'
  • W: 2'-4'

planting zones

  • 8a-11

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Phlomis purpurea plant details

Phlomis purpurea is a broadleaf evergreen perennial shrub with green foliage. In summer lavender, orange and yellow flowers emerge. Features fuzzy texture. Grows well with sun and occasional - low water. Drought tolerant once established. Prefers to be dry in summer. Adapts to various soil conditions. Does well in average, lean, rich and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something heat tolerant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Phlomis purpurea

Plant type: perennial shrub
Plant family: lamiaceae
Foliage: evergreen green
Mature size: 2 FT - 4 FT - wide, 2 FT - 4 FT - tall
Flowers: lavender, orange and yellow blooms in summer

GROWING CONDITIONS for Phlomis purpurea

USDA Zones: 8a - 11
Sun exposure: sun
Watering frequency: occasional - low
Resistant to: deer, heat
Soil needs: average, lean, rich and well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

Sprawling evergreen shrub native to Spain, Morocco and Portugal with silvered fuzzy foliage…4’ tall and 5-6’ wide. Lavender hooded flowers in whorls top stems most of the year, peaking in late spring. Needs well drained soil, a sunny and hot, dry location. Deer resistant, drought tolerant, enjoys coastal conditions, cut back after each bloom for compactness. Has been hardy for us to 14 °F.
Woolly stems to 2' tall featuring broadly lanceolate, pubescent leaves to 4" long. Summer blooming, with lavender-purple downy flowers. Hardy to 10 °F. Spain and Portugal.
Need a large almost ever-blooming shrub for a HOT, DRY, DEER INFESTED location? Presto! Phlomis purpurea is here to save the day! About 4-6’ tall & 4’ across, this pretty native of Spain bears large & attractive whorls of rosy-lavender hooded blooms. Loads of wooly, upright branching stems create a dense form with attractive leathery aromatic grey-green lance-shaped foliage. Requiring little more than a bit of drainage & a good cutback (to about 1’ in the Fall), this tough character thrives in the heat of the Central Valley & combines nicely with other easy heat lovers such as Lavender, Cistus & Rosemary. Hardy to 15 °F.

By: Annie's Annuals & Perennials

Wooly leaves and stems are ornamented with whorls of purple or pink mid summer blooms. Tolerates dry summer conditions.

Gardening facts about Phlomis purpurea plant

How to Grow Phlomis purpurea

  • Sun Exposure

    • sun
  • Water Needs

    • occasional - drought tolerant
  • Water Needs

    • dry in summer
  • Soil Needs

    • adaptable
    • average
    • lean
    • well-drained
    • rich
  • Special Situation

    • heat tolerant

Features

  • Foliage Color

    • green
  • Flower Color

    • orange
    • yellow
    • lavender
  • Wildlife

    • deer resistant
  • Flower Season

    • summer
  • Foliage Season

    • evergreen
  • Texture

    • fuzzy

Landscape groups by tags

See other plant types of Phlomis for your garden

aka Phlomis anatolica 'Lloyd's Variety', Lloyd Jerusalem Sage

Plant Type

Perennial

Zones

7a-11

Size

Height: 3'-4'

Width: 3'-4'

  • sun
  • drought tolerant
  • dry in summer
Photo of Phlomis grandiflora 'Lloyd's Silver' flower by Leonora (Ellie) Enking
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aka Jerusalem Sage

Plant Type

Perennial

Zones

7a-11

Size

Height: 2'-4'

Width: 3'-4'

  • sun - bright shade
  • drought tolerant
  • dry in summer
Photo of Phlomis fruticosa flower by Cistus Nursery
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aka Italian Jerusalem Sage

Plant Type

Shrub

Zones

7a-10b

Size

Width: 12"-36"

  • sun - mostly sun
  • low - drought tolerant
  • dry in winter
  • dry in summer
Photo of Phlomis italica flower by peganum
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aka Phlomis fruticosa 'Compact', Phlomis fruticosa 'Nana', Jerusalem Sage [compact form], Nana Dwarf Jerusalem Sage

Plant Type

Shrub, Perennial

Zones

7a-11

Size

Height: 2'-3'

Width: 2'-3'

  • sun - bright shade
  • occasional - drought tolerant
  • dry in summer
Photo of Phlomis fruticosa [compact form] flower by Native Sons
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aka Jerusalem Sage

Plant Type

Shrub, Perennial

Zones

8a-11

Size

Height: 2'-3'

Width: 4'-5'

  • sun
  • low - drought tolerant
  • dry in summer
Photo of Phlomis lanata flower by Karl Gercens III
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