Growing Phlomis russeliana in the Full Sun Perennial Flower Garden
Sun - prefers a full sun garden but will tolerate very light shade without losing stem strength and flopping about. When I say "light shade" that usually means very early morning or evening shade and certainly not the shade at high noon.
Propagation - easy from seed. Start seed indoors 12 weeks before planting outdoors. It can also easily be sown outdoors in the early spring in a place protected from rodents and birds.
Hardiness: has been fine in my USDA 4 garden and indeed is rated as a USDA zone 4 plant. I expect you'll be able to get 3-5 years from a plant before you have to resow.
Bloomtime: mid summer for 6-8 weeks with whorls of pale yellow blooms working their way up the stems
Height: 3-feet tall
Width: 3-feet wide. This is a big robust plant for the main perennial garden
Problems: None that I ever had. I don't recommend you grow it in clay as the winter-wet is going to do nasty things to this big root
NotesThe leaves on this plant are "slightly" fuzzy and fragrant. The leaves are enjoyed by some butterfly larvae (butterfly plant!) :-) and are deer-resistant.
In general, it is an easy plant to grow but you'll have to search out seed for it. Easy to start and if grown well, it will bloom yearly from its second year on. It's one of those equally tall and wide perennials that makes a wonderful "statement" of refined grace yet large size. And quite frankly, I like it because not too many other gardeners grow it.
Phlomis russeliana
Sources Resource for This Article
A book on growing Phlomis russeliana
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