Jerusalem Sage, botanically known as Phlomis fruticosa, is a robust evergreen shrub native to the rocky, sun-drenched coastlines of the Mediterranean. This species is a favorite among landscape architects for its incredible durability and structural integrity in arid and semi-arid climates. It is particularly well-suited for Mediterranean-style gardens, xeriscaping, and high-exposure sites. Its ability to thrive in poor soils and withstand coastal winds makes it a high-performance selection for professionals looking for a reliable, water-wise woody perennial.
What Does Jerusalem Sage Look Like?
This shrub features a dense, mounding architectural form that typically reaches 3 to 4 feet in height and width. The foliage is one of its most striking attributes, consisting of thick, woolly, lance-shaped leaves that are a soft silvery-gray or sage-green. This felt-like texture not only provides a unique tactile element to the garden but also serves as an adaptation to reflect intense sunlight and conserve moisture. The silver-toned foliage offers a sophisticated neutral backdrop that makes surrounding colors pop in a mixed planting scheme.
Does Jerusalem Sage Flower?
Jerusalem Sage is renowned for its unique and dramatic floral display in late spring and early summer. It produces bright, butter-yellow flowers that grow in tiered, spherical clusters known as verticillasters along the stems. This architectural "stacking" of blooms creates a bold vertical interest that is highly prized in modern and traditional designs alike. With a moderate growth rate, the plant establishes itself quickly, providing a substantial presence and a unique structural silhouette even after the blooming season has ended.
How Much Sun and Water Does Jerusalem Sage Need?
To maintain its compact form and produce a high volume of flowers, Jerusalem Sage requires full sun exposure. It is exceptionally drought-tolerant once established, fitting perfectly into low-water landscape regimes. While it prefers well-drained soil and can struggle in heavy, wet clay, it is remarkably adaptable to various pH levels and rocky substrates. Occasional deep watering during the peak of summer can help maintain the lushness of the woolly foliage, but over-watering should be strictly avoided.
What Wildlife Uses Jerusalem Sage?
The nectar-rich, hooded flowers are a major draw for pollinators, particularly large bees and butterflies. Because the flowers are structured in dense tiers, they provide an excellent landing platform for insects. By incorporating Jerusalem Sage into a design, architects can bolster local biodiversity and provide a reliable food source for beneficial insects in dry-climate gardens. The seeds produced after flowering can also provide a food source for small birds in the autumn.
What is the Cultural Significance of Jerusalem Sage?
Historically, Jerusalem Sage has been a staple of Mediterranean horticultural traditions for centuries. Its presence in a design instantly evokes the dry, aromatic hillsides of Greece and Italy. In these regions, it has been valued not just for its beauty, but for its resilience in the face of intense heat and poor soil. For modern landscape designers, using this plant is a way to bridge traditional Mediterranean aesthetics with contemporary needs for sustainable and resilient urban greenery.
What Challenges Come with Jerusalem Sage?
Jerusalem Sage is generally a very low-maintenance selection, but it does benefit from light pruning after the flowering cycle to maintain a tidy, rounded shape. If left completely unpruned for several years, it can become slightly woody at the base. One of its greatest advantages for designers is that it is highly resistant to deer and rabbits, as the woolly texture of the leaves is unappealing to most browsing wildlife. It is also quite cold-hardy for a Mediterranean shrub, though it should be protected from harsh, freezing winds in more northern zones.
How Do You Use Jerusalem Sage in Landscape Design?
This plant is an incredibly versatile tool for creating texture and structure. It works beautifully as a mass planting on slopes for erosion control, as a mid-border shrub in perennial beds, or as a silvery accent in a gray-toned moon garden. Its bold, tiered flowers make it a perfect companion for ornamental grasses, lavender, and other Mediterranean-adapted species. Landscape architects frequently use it to create "soft" hedges or boundaries that provide year-round visual interest without requiring frequent maintenance.
Why Do Landscape Architects Choose Jerusalem Sage?
Landscape architects and designers choose Phlomis fruticosa for its unique combination of silvery architectural foliage, dramatic tiered blooms, and extreme environmental toughness. It provides a level of visual impact that few other drought-tolerant shrubs can match. Its ability to support pollinators while remaining resistant to pests and deer makes it an ecologically responsible and practical choice for both large-scale commercial projects and refined residential gardens. Selection of Jerusalem Sage ensures a landscape that is as resilient as it is beautiful.
FAMILY
Lamiaceae
MATURE HEIGHT
3 to 4 ft
GROWTH HABIT
Phlomis fruticosa, or Jerusalem Sage, is an evergreen sub-shrub characterized by a dense, mounding growth habit that typically reaches a mature height and spread of 3 to 4 feet. The plant features stout, erect stems that bear distinct whorls of vibrant, tubular yellow flowers arranged in spherical clusters known as verticillasters. Its foliage is comprised of oppositely arranged, lanceolate leaves with a heavily textured, wrinkled surface and a soft, woolly pubescence that gives the plant a distinct silvery-grey appearance.
WATER REQUIREMENT
Low to moderate water
HARDY TO
20°F
NATIVE REGION
Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Turkey, former Yugoslavia
TYPE
Perennial
SOIL TYPE
Phlomis fruticosa, or Jerusalem Sage, requires a very specific type of well-drained soil to thrive, adapting well to average or even poor, lean conditions. The ideal substrate is a light, porous mixture, such as sandy, loamy, or even chalky and rocky soil, with excellent drainage being the most critical factor to prevent root rot. This plant is highly adaptable regarding pH, growing well in mildly acid, neutral, and alkaline soils. The key is a dry to medium-moisture environment, as it is drought-tolerant once established and does not tolerate wet, heavy clay soils or standing water. Amending heavy soils with sand or grit can improve the necessary permeability for healthy growth.
MAINTENACE TIPS
Once established, Phlomis fruticosa is a low-maintenance and drought-tolerant shrub that requires minimal watering. Water the plant thoroughly after planting and regularly during the first growing season to encourage a strong root system. Mature plants only need deep, infrequent watering, typically once every two to three weeks during hot, dry periods, allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings. Avoid heavy fertilization; at most, an annual application of compost or a light, balanced organic fertilizer in the spring is sufficient, as too much nitrogen can lead to weak growth. The plant is generally disease-free, though maintaining good airflow helps prevent fungal issues.
ELEVATION
to 3200 feet
3 to 4 ft
MATURE WIDTH
LEAF SHAPE
Phlomis fruticosa, commonly known as Jerusalem Sage, is an evergreen Mediterranean shrub characterized by its distinctive sage-like foliage. The specific leaf type is a simple, broadleaf blade that ranges in shape from ovate to lanceolate, typically measuring between 2 to 5 inches in length. These leaves are highly textured and wrinkled (rugose), featuring a soft, woolly, or felt-like (tomentose) surface that is grayish-green on the upper side and nearly white on the underside due to a dense covering of fine hairs. Arranged in opposite pairs along sturdy square stems, the foliage provides a thick, mounding structure that remains architecturally significant year-round in milder climates.
FLOWER COLOR
Yellow
FLOWER CHARACTERISTICS
Phlomis fruticosa, commonly known as Jerusalem sage, is a mounding Mediterranean evergreen shrub in the Lamiaceae (mint) family characterized by its unique verticillaster flower arrangement. These showy, lemon-yellow blossoms are tubular and two-lipped, featuring a hooded upper lip reminiscent of a parrot's beak, and they bloom in dense, spherical whorls that appear "shish-kabob" style along erect stems from late spring through summer. The plant's architectural beauty is complemented by its lance-shaped, woolly, gray-green foliage which is covered in silver velvety hairs and gives off a faint clove-like aroma when bruised. Reaching a mature size of approximately 3 to 4 feet in height and width, this drought-tolerant species is highly valued in xeric landscaping for attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies while remaining resistant to deer and rabbits.
FRUIT/SEED
The fruit of Phlomis fruticosa is a schizocarp that divides into four small, dry, single-seeded fruits called nutlets or mericarps. These nutlets are typically three or four-sided, brown when mature, and may be topped with a small amount of hair (pubescent) or sometimes be hairless (glabrous). The dried, architectural seed heads, which are the persistent calyces that hold the nutlets, remain on the stems through the winter, providing a food source for birds and ongoing ornamental interest in the garden.
SUN EXPOSURE
Full sun
POLLINATORS
Phlomis fruticosa, or Jerusalem sage, attracts various beneficial pollinators to its bright yellow, tubular flowers, including bees (such as bumblebees, honey bees, and native bees), butterflies (such as painted ladies), and hummingbirds. Beyond pollinators, the plant supports local wildlife, as its persistent, ornamental seed heads provide a valuable food source for various songbirds, especially during the fall and winter months. The foliage is also known to be resistant to deer and rabbits, which generally avoid the plant.
PRUNING TIPS
Pruning should primarily be done in late winter or early spring before new growth begins to remove any frost-damaged stems and encourage a bushier habit. A heavy annual prune, cutting the plant back by about half or to a few centimeters above the ground, helps rejuvenate older plants and maintain a desirable shape. After the plant has flowered, the spent flower stalks can be deadheaded to encourage additional blooms or left in place to provide architectural interest and seeds for birds through the winter.
