Jerusalem sage
Phlomis purpurea
ShrubPlacenta
A tough, purple-flowered pioneer for dry, degraded banks — quick to establish, drought-proof and a magnet for pollinators, though it gives little mulch and dislikes hard frost.
Tolerances & traits
- Strata
- Shrub
- Lifecycle
- Placenta
- Soil preference
- Rocky, Sandy
- Soil pH range
- 6 – 8
- Min. temperature
- -8°C
- Min. rainfall
- 350 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- High
- Frost tolerance
- Medium
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Irrigation needed
- Low
How to manage it
Fast-establishing pioneer shrub for dry, poor banks; cut back hard after flowering to stay compact and encourage fresh growth.
Watch out for
Not a real biomass producer despite past tagging — woody, low-yield chop-and-drop material. Flammable when dry; can suffer dieback in hard inland frosts.
Design your line to see how your land fits Jerusalem sage.
Start designing your line →Related species