Easily confused with : Turkish Sage but Turkish Sage has greener leaves that are pointed rather than rounded at the ends.

Not to be confused with: Sage (Salvia officinalis) which although it belongs to the same Dead-Nettle Family, is actually in a different Genera: Salvia as opposed to the Phlomis of Jerusalem Sage.

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature (for the Genus Phlomis): The ring of radially-arranged yellow flowers looking like a gas ring.

Jerusalem Sage has the propensity to grow another whorl of flowers atop an already existing top-most whorl, rather like a candelabra. Of course, many (but not all) Dead-Nettle Family plants have chandelier-like whorls of flowers up a continuous and un-broken stem, but the chandeliers in Wild Basil are different: they are not on a part of the same stem, but on a new stem grown from somewhere near the middle of the existing topmost whorl. Turkish Sage and Wild Basil also exhibit this behaviour. The separate tiered stems are often thinner than those below them; and the corresponding whorls not as large: much more like a (albeit upside-down) chandelier.

Inhabits sheltered woods and scrub; prefers full sun exposure. More easily found in a park or garden. Very fast growing, reaches up to 5 feet tall.

The flowers are typical of the Dead-Nettle Family: two petalled, but most unusually they are in a circle formation akin to a gas ring.