Growing Herbs

The germanders are very rugged, small to medium-sized shrubs that will thrive in heat and poor soil.

Teucrium chamaedrys is low-growing with many upright stems 30-60cm high. The dark green leaves are about 18mm long with toothed margins and cover the branches densely. Reddish purple or white, 2cm flowers appear in loose spikes during the summer. This species makes a good edging or low clipped hedge. To keep the growth looking neat, shear back once or twice a year to force side branching. T. c. 'Prostraturn' has flowers and foliage that are similar to T. chamaedrys but it is much more prostrate, growing only 10-15cm high and spreading to about 1m. Plants spread by underground runners and can be invasive. For a ground cover, set plants 60cm.

T. fruiticans, or bush germander, is a loose, silvery-stemmed shrub growing 130-260cm high and about 3m wide. The leaves are 3cm long, gray green above and silvery white below, giving the plant an overall silvery white effect. Lavender-blue, 2cm long flowers grow in spikes at the ends of the branches during most of the year in warm climates; they are attractive but not showy.

Germander often was used in knot gardens as a border hedge along paths and planting beds. Medicinally it once was a major ingredient in a blend of herbs used for curing gout, and was supposed to be a good herb to take for strengthening the brain and thinking.

Germanders are good plants for sun and heat, and endure poor, rocky soils well. They must have good drainage, however, as prolonged wet soil is fatal.

Germander's principal use today is in the landscape as a low hedge or ground cover.

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