Phlomis x cytherea is a little-known Jerusalem sage that we find incredibly garden worthy. First published in 1967 and named for the island of Cytherea (Kithira), which lies halfway between Mainland Greece and Crete, this natural hybrid occurs in Greece and the Greek islands, where Phlomis fruticosa and Phlomis cretica cohabitate. Compared to the much larger Phlomis fruticosa, the hybrid fits even small gardens, maturing at a compact 2.5′ tall x 4′ wide. These evergreen, hot sun-loving, dry-soil loving shrubs, look great all year for us. In late April, the stalks of fuzzy grey leaves are topped with whorls of yellow flowers. We’ve already began propagating, so we’ll have enough to share before too long.
