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Phlomis purpurea 'Semper Purple' (Large-leaved Purple Phlomis) - An upright shrub that grows to 4 feet tall by as wide with upright stems bearing woolly, medium gray-green triangular shaped leaves and lavender-purple flowers with white lower lip that are held in whorls that rise just above the foliage throughout the year with a peak bloom in late spring.
Plant in a sunny location in soils of low to moderate fertility that drain well. Will also grow in light shade. This tough plant requires very little summer watering once established in coastal conditions but does best with occasional irrigation inland. We have never had any frost damage on our original form of this plant, and have been told it is hardy to at least 15° F. It is a great plant for adding gray foliage and pinkish purple flowers to the garden, especially in areas with deer as this plant is avoided by them. Cut back after each flowering period for best appearance.
Phlomis purpurea is native to Spain, Portugal and Morocco where it grows on hillsides and in rocky places. The name for the genus dates back to the first century AD from the Greek physician Dioscorides use of the word to describe some plants in the genus and it thought to originate from the Greek word meaning "flame" because the leaves of some species were used for lamp wicks. The specific epithet refers to the typical flower color. While we also grow our original more wide spreading form of Phlomis purpurea that has narrower leaves and slightly darker flowers and list it simply as Phlomis purpurea, this form we received from John Low at Sempervirens Botanical in 2015 has a more upright form, larger leaves and a splash of white in the flower and it grows a bit more vigorous with more a uniform and upright form. We grew it for 2017 until 2019.
Information displayed on this page about Phlomis purpurea 'Semper Purple' is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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