Phlomis is another one of those plants I always found a bit boring – before I had a Mediterranean garden. Now I’ve grown quite fond of them although they do not bloom particularly long, mostly in May. Their foliage and spent flowers are quite attractive and they are allelopathic plants, meaning that they discourage the growth of unwanted plants in their direct vicinity.
Most Phlomis have a Filippi “code de secheresse” of 5 – so are very drought-resistant. Their leaves may look tired or drop off in a hard summer but they always come back.
Phlomis are small shrubs and Mediterranean natives. As such they thrive in full sun to partial shade and like a well-drained soil. They are hardy to -9℃. My varieties are:
Phlomis Fruticosa
It is a native of the Mediterranean and I found quite a few of them in the overgrown garden. They are robust and vigourous and tolerate being replanted in the fall.
Phlomis Marina
A hybrid of Phlomis purpurea and italica, it is quite attractive but altogether pretty pale and doesn’t really make for great flower photography – except in direct contrast to one of those lovely Xylocopa carpenter bees:
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