Stats

Lifespan: 10-20 yrs
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Mediterranean shrubland
Range: Mediterranean Basin
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Uncommon

About

Famous for its soft, woolly leaves that were once used as wicks for oil lamps, this hardy shrub thrives in the bright Mediterranean sun. It grows beautiful circles of golden-yellow flowers that look like tiny crowns, making it a cheerful sight in dry, rocky gardens.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Phlomis
Species: Phlomis fruticosa