I couldn't comment on the hardiness for your zone, Rouge but like a lot of these aromatic xeric plants, it is usually winter wet which does for them rather than winter cold...and I would have expected considerable hardiness from a Himalayan plant. I admit to not being keen on phlomis, especially that horrid mustardy yellow of Jerusalem sage but the cashmeriana is a much prettier lavender coloured specimen which is daintier in all its parts.

I bet you are right 'camp'....kind of like a lavender. Thanks for the post.

Personally I like the yellow Jerusalem Sage better so thats the kind I have but some people don't care for yellow flowers in the garden, I do. I know for sure its hardy to zone 6a because my sister has had it growing for years and so did my mother much further north. She has a nice big clump, her yard can get pretty soggy but so did my mother's. She has it planted in part sun. Its listed as hardy to zone 5 and recommended for dryer western gardens where it gets cold. I like the sculptural & pincushion-y seed heads that stay on the plant all season and the fact that its evergreen. I tried seeds once with no luck so its well behaved. Mine is real pretty in winter because its lush and on the blue side, its planted in full sun but sometimes gets a bit cooked looking in summer when we get really hot but otherwise its a super easy plant that seems to thrive on no care.

Its way easier and much more forgiving than lavender. My sister cannot grow lavender at all and mine are usually short lived although I have two Spanish lavender plants that are thriving surprisingly well. I think I finally found one that likes it here & plan to buy a couple more this spring.

I should add that the plants up in Kansas have seen some floods along with some heavy winter moisture years and their plants always made it through, no problem.

I will start by qualifying that I don't grow any Phlomis, but have read somewhere in the distant past here on GW that for some species in some settings, self-seeding can be enthusiastic, so you should probably try to get feedback for your particular species and location. My memory is that is was from a gardener with somewhat similar growing conditions to mine and that it was the yellow type (P. russeliana), which is why I haven't grown it, though I do like the sculptural aspect of the plant that TR2 mentions.

When I first got interested in it I collected about 200 fresh seeds from my sister's plant and direct sowed most of them in early winter, some I put in a pot outside and others I sowed warm just to hedge my bet. Nothing came up & thats what I'm basing my observation on. I had looked up sowing instructions and read 'germination is irregular and can take a long period so don't throw away seed trays' & thats why I direct sowed. I'm not one to babysit a tray through summer waiting for slow seeds, the ground will just have to do. My sister didn't say anything about hers self sowing and I didn't ask but she's only got the one clump. I think she would have said if it did or given me a plant at least.

I find that the yellow Jerusalem Sage is fairly easy to grow from cuttings. I did buy the P. cashmeriana from High country gardens and it is loving my yard. i have it in part shade. It is still small. I put it in last fall. I will be making cuttings of mine this spring. It is great xeric plant around here. I did give it some amended soil but not much water but it has been damp on occasion and warm and this winter . I like both plants. I do like the form of the plants and the plant likes Texas summers so i am not complaining.

camps, the leaves are thick, wooly and grey/green with whitish undersides, they look similar to garden sage in texture, but not aromatic. I really like the looks of the leaves. Wantanamara's and mine both survived the drowning epic flood of spring 2015. Thats something.

Yes, 'tough' is non-negotiable in my fantasy flower formula so proven survivors are never to be disregarded.

Bet you would like silver sage, s.argentea.

I had a bit of a silver plants thing going at the allotment (dianthus, artemisia, lavender, astelia...but I took my eye off the ball last summer and will be paying for it this year - althea, verbena, knautia, poppy...sigh...running amok and bullying the daintier members of my scree bed community - pasque flowers, pinks, little bulbs

I have found that the Salvia argentea has never done to well for me. They either like it cooler or want a deeper less alkaline soil. I have seen them doing well in town on occasion but I think many have problems with them . I see them less and less in the stores.

I have had P. russeliana for several years...long lasting ,early,light yellow whorls of bloom. Adds vertical structural that counter lower purple plants:violas,alyssum,early daylilies. They seem to like my sandy neutral soil

I have grown P. russeliana for several years without trouble. It was perfectly hardy, and no seedlings ever. In the end I got rid of it as I needed the spot for something else. We used to have a large community plant sale every year, and both the yellow and the pink one came up there several times, so more people are growing either type successfully in this area.

Another plant that I hope to find space for this season.

I may have a cheap source. PM me if interested. We often had it in our community plant sale in Ancaster, now Binbrook.

Very generous of you gdinieontario.