TEUCRIUM. Germander. Widespread, but especially Mediterranean. This is a diverse group of shrubby and semishrubby mints. Size, habit and details of the leaves vary widely, though all have irregular, two-lipped flowers. According to these features, they are useful as free-standing shrubs, for borders, or for ground cover. Sun, well drained soil, moderate to little watering. The following are hardy to around 0^oF.

chamaedrys. A dense, mounding perennial, up to 18" high and 2’ or more broad. They have rather narrow leaves with notched margins, up to 1½” long. The leaves are deep green and softly shiny. In summer many dense spikes develop above the foliage, displaying purplish pink to (occasionally) white blossoms.  ‘Prostratum’ is a matting cultivar, only a few inches high. It has leaves 1" or less in length and flowers of purplish rose color. A similar but slightly taller selection is ‘Compactum’. The species has long been valued for low borders and ground cover.

cussonii (T. cossonii, T. c. majoricum, T. majoricum). There seem to be many contenders for the “correct” name for this little shrublet; I will retain one of the early ones for now. Whatever we call it, it is a tidy low mat, eventually 3’ or more broad. The twigs are slender and closely lined by aromatic, very narrow 1" leaves, greyish green above and whitish beneath. It blooms (in our climate, at least) throughout the growing season, with dense clusters of rose-lavender blossoms nestled upon the foliage. This is one of the best of the teucriums for sunny banks.

flavum. A bushy, erect, slender-stemmed shrub, growing 1-2’ high. It presents a crisp contrast between pale furry stems and dark, shiny 1” leaves. In summer it carries small clusters of pale yellow flowers spaced on slender stalks above the foliage.

fruticans. Bush germander. The typical T. fruticans is a useful and attractive shrub for dry landscapes, but it is often quite leggy. We offer an unnamed selection that is considerably bushier, probably reaching 4-5' in time. The stems are nearly white and conspicuously angled. Paired leaves resembling those of a dwarf olive, bluish green above and nearly white beneath, line the stems. Clusters of lavender blue flowers are carried at the branch tips in summer. The selection ‘Compactum’ is smaller (usually 2-3') and very dense, with stiffer stems. It blooms most of the year, with similar flowers. Yet another, more recent selection is ‘Azureum’. It is probably midway between the last two in size and has vivid purplish blue flowers.

hyrcanicum. An erect perennial of about 2', clumping freely from the base. Paired along the stems are broad, scallop-edged, deeply textured leaves, about 2" long. Blooming in summer, the plant resembles a veronica from any distance, for the small, purplish red blossoms are presented in the same dense, pointed clusters.

marum. Cat thyme. A dense, slender stemmed shrub of about 1', white-hairy on both the stems and the undersides of the tiny, pungently aromatic leaves. This selection bears small rose pink blossoms along the upper stems in summer. Like the true catnip (Nepeta cataria) it is extremely and often self-destructively attractive to cats.