PHLOMIS fruticosa: Jerusalem Sage

Today was a gorgeous day for a long walk.
Angus & I passed a neighbor’s garden where this JERUSALEM SAGE is blooming.

AKA Turkish Sage, Jupiter’s Distaff & Golden Wick, this fast growing, warm season shrub is native to the Mediterranean region & has been growing wild since ancient times in Sardinia, Crete, Malta, Greece, Turkey & the mountains of Syria.
It has been widely naturalized in California.

It has fuzzy, aromatic grey- green leaves & these bright whorls of yellow flowers around the stems. It blooms in Spring, into Summer here in California, where it attracts Hummingbirds & butterflies.

It can be planted with other ornamental
Sages in an herb garden, raised bed or in containers. It is drought tolerant, but prefers regular irrigation. It prefers full sun/light shade & is hardy down to 25F (-3.9C).

This small, spreading semi-evergreen shrub won the Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 2002.

I am smitten.