Shrubby germander

Sun

Full sun; flowering and growth become less dense in shade.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then deeply during prolonged dry spells. Established plants tolerate drought; avoid persistently damp soil.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gravelly or loamy soil, including alkaline soil. Avoid heavy clay unless drainage is substantially improved.

Height

4-8 ft (1.2-2.4 m)

Spread

4-8 ft (1.2-2.4 m)

Flowers

Pale blue to lavender-blue flowers, mainly in spring and summer; flowering can begin in late winter in mild climates.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, oval, grey-green leaves with white-felted undersides, carried on pale, woolly stems.

Growth

Moderate to fast in warm, sunny conditions.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.7 ft (0.83 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.1 m)

4. After 3 years

   5 ft (1.5 m)

5. After 5 years

   6 ft (1.8 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant in spring in colder areas; autumn planting suits mild climates with well-drained soil.
• Water deeply during the first growing season, allowing the soil surface to dry between waterings.
• Use a gravel mulch and keep it clear of the stems.
• Avoid routine feeding; rich soil and excess nitrogen encourage soft, sprawling growth.
• Choose a sheltered position near its cold limit, and protect young plants during hard freezes.

Pruning. After the main flowering flush, shorten leafy shoots to keep the shrub compact; light clipping can maintain a hedge, though it removes some flowers. Remove frost-damaged growth in spring once new growth shows, and avoid cutting deeply into bare old wood.

Spring

Check for frost damage and remove dead shoots once healthy new growth is visible.

Spring

Plant in colder areas and water thoroughly to settle soil around the roots.

Late spring

Take softwood cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

Summer

Trim after the main flowering flush, leaving leafy growth on each branch.

Summer

Water young plants during dry weather; give established shrubs water only during prolonged drought.

Autumn

Plant in mild climates, but avoid heavy pruning before winter.

Winter

Keep drainage outlets clear and protect young shrubs if severe frost is forecast.

• Clip into a silver-grey hedge along a sunny path or courtyard boundary.
• Use as a rounded foliage anchor among lavender, rosemary and rock roses.
• Plant in gravel gardens to contrast with dark green shrubs and upright grasses.
• Grow against a warm, sheltered wall in cooler gardens.
• Use in coastal gardens where drainage is good and exposure is not extreme.

Garden styles it suits: Mediterranean, Modern Mediterranean, Dry gravel garden, Coastal, Desert / xeriscape and Formal.

Plant it with: Lavender, Rosemary, Rock rose, Santolina, Jerusalem sage and Bearded iris.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar for bees and other pollinating insects. Frequent clipping reduces the number of flowers available.

• Root rot and winter dieback in wet soil: improve drainage or move to a raised planting position; do not keep watering damp ground.
• Frost damage: use a sheltered site and wait until spring growth begins before removing damaged stems.
• Sparse, sprawling growth in shade or rich soil: provide full sun, stop unnecessary feeding and trim lightly after flowering.
• Poor regrowth after severe pruning: retain leafy shoots when cutting and replace shrubs that remain bare.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, but reliable species-specific safety information is limited. It is an ornamental plant, not a culinary herb; do not eat the leaves, flowers or other parts.

• Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa)

  Has much larger, wrinkled, felted leaves and yellow flowers arranged in distinct whorls around the stems.

• Texas sage (Leucophyllum frutescens)

  Has silver-grey foliage but rounded, bell-shaped pink or purple flowers rather than germander's blue flowers with a prominent lower lip.

• Wall germander (Teucrium chamaedrys)

  Forms a much lower plant with small, glossy green, toothed leaves and pink-purple flowers, rather than a tall, silver-grey shrub.

The species name fruticans means shrubby or bushy, referring to its woody growth.

Propagation. Take softwood cuttings in late spring or semi-ripe cuttings in summer, using non-flowering shoots and a free-draining rooting mix.

Accepted botanical name

Teucrium fruticans

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Algeria, Corse, France, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Portugal, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain and Tunisia.

Measured

Soil pH 5 to 5.5.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.