Teucrium scorodonia
woodland germander
Western and central Europe, North Africa
Overview
Teucrium scorodonia is a rhizomatous perennial 15-50 cm (6-20 in) tall, with erect, square, softly hairy stems rising from a creeping rootstock. The opposite leaves are heart-shaped, wrinkled, and toothed, 3-7 cm (1.2-2.8 in) long, resembling those of culinary sage and giving off a faint hop-like scent when crushed. From midsummer it carries slender, one-sided spikes of small two-lipped flowers in pale greenish-yellow, each lacking a true upper lip so that the four reddish-brown stamens arch forward over the open throat. It spreads slowly by rhizomes to form loose patches and self-seeds on bare ground. The flowering is muted in colour rather than showy, and the plant can wander beyond its intended spot through creeping roots. Top growth dies back in autumn and regrows in spring. It grows on dry, acid, free-draining soils in sun or partial shade, including sandy heath, woodland edges, dunes, and rocky banks, and tolerates drought once established but struggles on heavy, wet, or limy ground.
Native Range
Teucrium scorodonia is native to western and central Europe, from the British Isles and Iberia to Scandinavia, and into North Africa. It grows on dry acid soils in open woodland, heaths, hedge banks, dunes, and rocky ground. It is not native to North America.Suggested Uses
Planted in dry, acid borders, gravel gardens, woodland edges, and naturalistic and wildlife schemes. Used as drought-tolerant ground cover on poor, sandy, or rocky soils where many plants fail. Its spreading roots and muted flowers make it suited to informal rather than formal plantings.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6" - 1'8"
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years
Bloom Information
Flowering runs from July to September. The pale greenish-yellow flowers open in sequence along slender, one-sided spikes through late summer. Small nutlets ripen within the persistent calyces into autumn.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Sage-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow Teucrium scorodonia in dry, acid, free-draining soil in full sun to partial shade, such as sandy banks, gravel, and woodland edges. It tolerates drought and poor soils once established and fails on heavy, wet, or strongly limy ground. The plant is hardy and needs no winter protection across temperate zones. Sow seed in autumn or spring, or divide creeping clumps in spring. It spreads by rhizomes, so give it room or contain the roots where the wandering habit is unwanted. No feeding is needed on lean soil.Pruning
No formal pruning is needed. Cut back faded flowering stems in autumn or late winter, or leave them standing for structure and seed. Lift and reduce spreading clumps in spring to keep them in bounds.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 2 gallons