Plant Details

Fuzzy, large leaves with unusual, yellow flowers in late spring. Drought tolerant and tough. (Rogue Valley Nursery) The Jerusalem Sage is a native of Albania, Cyprus, East Aegean Island, Greece, Italy, Crete, Sardinia, Sicily, Transcaucasia, Turkey, and former Yugoslavia. It is a broadleaf evergreen, mounding, shrubby, and pubescent perennial. In USDA Zones 8-10, it will remain evergreen and in Zones 5-7 it is deciduous. The plant is a member of the Mint family or Lamiaceae. Its genus name Phlomis is Greek and translated means flame. This may be referring to the fact that in ancient times its leaves were used as lamp wicks. The species name, fruticosa, means shrubby and short, and this refers to its growth habit. The plant's height varies from 2-4 feet and spread 3-5 feet. (North Carolina State University Extension)