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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae) (Mints) |
| Origin: Italy (Europe) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Light Lavender |
| Bloomtime: Spring |
| Synonyms: [P. purpurea ssp. caballeroi ] |
| Height: 4-6 feet |
| Width: 3-4 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F |
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Phlomis purpurea ssp. caballeroi (Pink Moroccan Sage) - An attractive shrub to 4 to 6 feet tall with 2 to 3 inch long lanceolate yellow-green leaves that are covered with short soft golden hairs on the upper surface and sliver-gray hairs below. The flowers in whorls of 6 to 8 are two-toned, the nearly white soft pink upper lip is hairy and the lower lilac purple lip is nearly glabrous. Plant in a sunny location in soils of low to moderate fertility that drain well. Will also grow in light shade. This tough plant doesn't require much if any irrigation once established in coastal conditions; will require an occasional watering inland. We have never had any cold damage to this plant and it should be hardy to at least 15° F. To our eye this plant is more closely similar to Phlomis italic, though it is now listed as a subspecies of Phlomis purpurea. It has been noted as being from Alicante in Spain, Morocco and Algeria though its existence in Spain has never been verified. This plant was originally described in 1918 by Spanish botanist Carlos Pau Espaņol but was merged with Phlomis purpurea by fellow Spaniards Oriol de Bolōs and Josep Vigo Bonada in 1983. 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. We first grew this plant from seed received in 1992 from the Jardin Bontanique, Nice in France as Phlomis caballeroi.
The information about Phlomis purpurea ssp. caballeroi displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
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