About
Phlomis samia is a species in the mint family Lamiaceae and a member of the genus Phlomis. It bears the genus's characteristic whorls of hooded flowers arranged around square stems and frequently shows hairy foliage. Flowering occurs from June to August in the UK. The flower clusters and stem habit make it straightforward to identify in summer displays.
About the genus
Phlomis is a genus of over 100 species of herbaceous plants, subshrubs and shrubs in the mint family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region east across central Asia to China.
Wikipedia contributors, "Phlomis", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Phlomis
In the garden
Phlomis samia sits within the genus Phlomis and the family Lamiaceae and produces the genus's distinctive verticillaster (whorled) flower clusters on stems that are typically square in section. The species flowers in the UK from June to August, when the stacked, hooded blooms appear along the upper stems. Select a sunny, well-drained site that echoes the open habitats many Phlomis occupy; good drainage is particularly important where winters are wet. Plant with adequate spacing so air can move around the stems; this helps keep the hairy leaves and flowering stems dry through the season. Remove spent flower spikes to keep the plant tidy and to prevent seeding where you do not want volunteers. In a UK garden Phlomis samia works well at the front or middle of a sunny border, in a gravel or Mediterranean-style bed, or where its vertical flower whorls can be seen against a backdrop of lower foliage. The arrangement of flowers around the stems makes identification simple during its June–August season and gives summer borders a clear structural rhythm that lasts through the height of summer.
More in the Phlomis genus
- Phlomis herba - venti subsp. pungensJerusalem Sage
- Phlomis italicaBalearic Island sage
- Phlomis russelianaTurkish sage
- Phlomis tuberosasage-leaf mullein
