Genus: Teucrium

Common Names: various (includes germanders)

Description coming soon.

Distribution: widespread

Teucrium aroanium

Common name(s): germander

Description: perennial; low, spreading growth with aromatic, evergreen leaves and light blue flowers with dark purple veins in summer.

Height: to 6 in. Spread: to 2 ft.

Position: full sun and lean, well-draining soil

Uses: ornamental, to attract pollinators

Winter Hardiness: to 10 F and below

Drought: adapted to 4 months of summer drought

Distribution: S. Greece

Teucrium asiaticum

Common name(s): Balearic germander

Description: perennial; low, spreading growth with incredibly aromatic, evergreen foliage and purple-pink flower spikes in summer. Long-blooming.

Height: to 14 in. Spread: to 18 in.

Position: full sun and lean, well-draining soil

Uses: ornamental, to attract pollinators

Winter Hardiness: to 10 F and below

Drought: adapted to 4 months of summer drought

Distribution: Balearic Islands

Teucrium aureum 'Mrs. Milsted'

Common name(s): germander

Description: perennial; named for author and plantswoman, Muriel Milsted. low, spreading growth with aromatic, evergreen foliage and yellow flower clusters in summer.

Height: to 6 in. Spread: to 18 in.

Position: full sun and lean, well-draining soil

Uses: ornamental, to attract pollinatos

Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below

Teucrium chamaedrys

Common name(s): germander, wall germander

Description: evergreen shrub; compact, rounded growth with with glossy, aromatic leaves that resemble those of oaks. Pink flower spikes in summer. 

Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.

Position: full sun, tolerant of poor soil but does best with good drainage

Uses: ornamental- for use as a low hedge and popular in old world knot gardens, to attract pollinators

Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below

Drought: adapted to 4 months of summer drought

Distribution: Europe, SW Asia, NW Africa

Teucrium chamaedrys 'Prostratum'

Common name(s): creeping germander

Description: evergreen shrub; a low-growing selection of T. chamaedrys. Compact, spreading growth with with glossy, aromatic leaves that resemble those of oaks. Pink flower spikes in summer. 

Height: to 10 in. Spread: to 3 ft.

Position: full sun, tolerant of poor soil but does best with good drainage

Uses: ornamental- for use as a low hedge and popular in old world knot gardens, to attract pollinators

Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below

Drought: adapted to 4 months of summer drought

Teucrium cossonii syn: Teucrium majoricum

Common name(s): fruity germander

Description: perennial; low, spreading growth with narrow, grey-green foliage that smells of pineapple when crushed. Blooms pink-purple flowers in from spring into summer. A gem in the rock garden.

Height: to 6 in. Spread: to 3 ft.

Position: full sun and gritty, fast-draining soil

Uses: ornamental- in rock gardens and as a small-scale groundcover, and to attract pollinators

Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below

Drought: adapted to 4 months of summer drought

Distribution: Balearic Islands

Teucrium flavum

Common name(s): yellow germander

Description: evergreen shrub; vigorous, upright growth with glossy green foliage and sturdy spikes of pale yellow flowers in summer. Tough and long-lived.

Height: to 18 in. Spread: to 18 in.

Position: full sun and well-draining soil

Uses: ornamental, to attract pollinators

Winter Hardiness: to 5 F and below

Drought: adapted to 4 months of summer drought

Distribution: Mediterannean Basin

Teucrium flavum [compact form]

Common name(s): compact yellow germander

Description: evergreen shrub; a compact, low growing form of T. flavum. Glossy green foliage and pale yellow flower spikes in summer. Tough and long-lived.

Height: to 1 ft. Spread: to 18 in.

Position: full sun and well-draining soil

Uses: ornamental, to attract pollinators

Winter Hardiness: to 5 F and below

Drought: adapted to 4 months of summer drought

Teucrium fruticans

Common name(s): silver germander, bush germander

Description: evergreen shrub; vigorous, rounded growth with aromatic foliage and pale blue flowers in late spring. T. fruticans thrives in semi-arid environments and has multiple adaptations to drought including the ability to drop its leaves and enter an indefinite state of dormancy when devoid of moisture, leaving only a skeleton of hairy, white stems until autumn rains. 

Height: to 5 ft. Spread: to 5 ft.

Position: full sun and well-draining soil

Uses: ornamental, to attract pollinators

Winter Hardiness: to 5 F and below

Drought: adapted to 4 months of summer drought

Distribution: W. Mediterranean Basin

Teucrium marum

Common name(s): cat thyme

Description: a compact evergreen shrublet with a reputation for stimulating our feline companions into "unusual" behavior- so much so that sprigs of it can be used to train them as a stimulating reward. Fuzzy, gray-green foliage with a very strong aroma when bruised. Clear pink flower spikes in summer

Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.

Position: full sun and well-draining soil, some cats enjoy rolling on young plants and cautions should be taken to prevent this as it will often snap their stems.

Uses: to train/reward cats (dried leaves stronger than fresh ones), ornamental, to attract pollinators

Winter Hardiness: to 5 F and below

Drought: adapted to 5 months of summer drought

Distribution: W. Mediterranean Basin