Phlomis Species, Jerusalem Sage

On Mar 18, 2016, NeedaGarden from Landenberg, PA wrote:

This very interesting plant was well established when we bought our house 10 years ago. My only concern with it is this: It is so full that the leaves underneath quickly rot and become moldy. They are visible if you look for a moment, and I always fear that is unhealthy for the rest of the plant. (?) I have tried to thin it out (rather barbarically, I admit, by just yanking out sections), but that hasn't really helped.

Can anyone advise the best way to thin it and minimize or eliminate the rot and mold? Thanks!

P.S. We live in extreme SE PA, Zone 6b/7a. This plant is against the SE side of the house, so part sun/shade.

On Apr 21, 2014, bobbieberecz from Concrete, WA wrote:

I have enjoyed this plant for decades. First in clay soil, full sun in temperate Seattle, WA. Then in sandy soil in Seattle and finally out in the hot and freezing foothills of NW Washington. The soil here in the foothills is a silty loam that dries out quickly without mulch. I do a nuritious mulch every year and am faithful about watering. I also have had this plant in almost full but fairly bright shade and it blooms minamally but has wonderful healthy fresh wooly foliage. It has grown wide and robust in half day of sun (with summer temps in the high nineties for 2 or 3 weeks each summer and sometimes topping one hundred) and dappled shade in the morning. It never reaches over 3 1/2 feet but does spread at least 3 feet wide. Whether visitors are admiring the foliage or the uniqu... read moree flowers with just the right shade of butter yellow, this plant is always a 100% winner. I've shared divisions with many over the years. They fill out quickly and by the next year, gardners are pleased with the size and blooms. We had an unusually cold spell for several weeks (4*) this year and they all died back to the ground. But I see new leaves pushing up from the roots and will be interested to see if they bloom. Don't be dismayed at the straggly look after a cold and wet NW winter. Keep checking and usually you'll see little leaf buds forming on the dead looking stems. In no time you'll have a wonderful full and bushy plant with more flowers than the year before! I've taken a few division to a dry reach across the large lawn and am waiting to see just how much drought this plant can take this summer.

On Jun 13, 2011, leesdachshunds from Redding, CA wrote:

I planted a 1 gallon container about 6 years ago and each year mine gets bigger and has more blooms. We've had a wet Spring here this year and it reached 5 feet easy and was covered with blossoms. It even looks good in the winter as the plant ages it seems to aquire more character each season.

On Feb 14, 2011, Pistil from Lake Stevens, WA (Zone 8a) wrote:

I first tried this plant in a very sandy place by the Lake, that never got very warm in the summer- it languished. I dug it up and gave it to my sister who lives in the foothills, zone 7. It hardly grew, stayed quite stunted. I took it back when I moved to a warmer spot on the hillside. Soil is clayey, but terraced. The Phlomis LOVES this spot- blooms for months, leaves are very nice. Only gets about 3 feet tall maximum.

On Apr 22, 2007, mrs_colla from Marin, CA (Zone 9b) wrote:

My neighbour has this plant, and it survived all the frost this winter and is already blooming ( April).
When I asked her what it was she said Lionstail (Leonotis menthifolia). I should have known better than to believe her without checking it first, she is not a gardener. I ordered the leonotis, only to find out it is similar in flower and appearance, but the leaves aren't wolly!
Deeply saddened, my quest for the plant I wanted went on, and now I have found it!

On Apr 21, 2005, maggiemoo from Conroe, TX (Zone 9a) wrote:

I first saw this plant in the gardens at our local Extension office last year, in late winter. I loved the mound of soft, slightly fuzzy, grey-green leaves (I even like thier shape). I planted one in my own garden that Spring, and it has done well. I have to admit, when I started noticing them in bloom in public flowerbeds, I actually didn't care for the flowers at all. In fact, I cut my plant back to try to prevent it from flowering, and have been rewarded with additional mounds of those wonderful leaves. After reading Bah's take on the the look of the flowers, I'm beginning to appreciate them, and will not fight the flowering any more.

On Mar 13, 2004, BAH from Hyampom, CA wrote:

I found this plant to add an interesting aspect to the common varieties of garden plants. The flowers remind me of Dr. Suess trees.