''Phlomis fruticosa'', the Jerusalem sage,
is a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
in the family
Lamiaceae
The Lamiaceae ( )
or Labiatae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle, or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil (herb), ba ...
,
native
Native may refer to:
People
* '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood
* '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Nat ...
to Albania, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and Turkey.
It is a small
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...
shrub
A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...
, up to tall by 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
flower
Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...
s, 3 cm in length, grow in whorls of 20 in short spikes in summer.
The
specific epithet
In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...
''fruticosa'' means "shrubby".
It is popular as an
ornamental plant
Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...
, and has gained the
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...
's
Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
It includes the full range of cultivated p ...
.
As a garden escape, it has
naturalised
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...
in parts of South West England.
It is listed as deer resistant, hardy in zones 7 to 11, and tolerant of a range of soil types.
Gallery
File:Phlomis_fruticosa_flower_Oakland.JPG
File:Phlomis_fruticosa_flower_Merritt.JPG
(MHNT) Bombus terrestris on phlomis fruticosa.jpg, Pollination by ''Bombus terrestris''
See also
*
Phlomis russeliana
''Phlomis russeliana'', Turkish sage, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to Turkey and Syria in south west Asia. It is often confused with the closely related '' P. samia'', and wrongly marketed as ''Phlomis viscosa'' ...
– the similar-looking Turkish sage also sometimes called Jerusalem sage
References
*
Michigan State University entry* Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986–1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols.
* Davis, P. H., ed. 1965–1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
* Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984–. Med-Checklist.
* Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening.
* Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934–1964. Flora SSSR.
* Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964–1980. Flora europaea.
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1322796
fruticosa
Shrubs
Flora of Albania
Flora of Cyprus
Flora of Greece
Flora of Italy
Flora of Turkey
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus