Teucrium fruticans Ball – Silver Bush Germander Topiary

Teucrium fruticans is the Silver Bush Germander, a Mediterranean evergreen grown here as a clipped topiary ball. The foliage is small, aromatic and blue-grey, with a white felted underside and matching felted square stems, so the whole plant reads silver from a distance. Mauve-blue flowers appear on the arching stems through spring and into summer, and in mild districts it will throw the odd flush at other times of year. The flowers are a bonus rather than the point. The reason to plant it is the colour and the form. It clips exceptionally well, which is why it is one of the few genuinely silver plants available as a formal ball. A pair either side of a doorway, or a run repeated down a path, gives the structure of a Buxus ball in a completely different tone. Full sun and sharp drainage are the two requirements. Given those, it is drought tolerant once established, handles coastal exposure and inland heat, tolerates light frost and copes with poor soil. What it will not tolerate is wet feet. Frequently Asked Questions About Teucrium fruticans Ball What is Teucrium fruticans?It is an evergreen Mediterranean shrub in the mint family, Lamiaceae, commonly called Silver Bush Germander or Tree Germander. It is grown for its aromatic blue-grey foliage with white felted undersides and stems, and its mauve-blue flowers. These are supplied as clipped topiary balls. How big does it get?As a clipped ball it stays at whatever size you trim it to. Left unclipped the species reaches roughly 0.75 to 1.2 metres tall and spreads to around 1.8 metres, so a ball needs trimming twice a year to hold its outline rather than running to a spreading shrub. How is it different to a Buxus ball?Colour and climate. Buxus is dark glossy green and prefers moisture and some shelter. Teucrium is silver-grey and aromatic, and it wants heat, full sun and sharp drainage. In hot, dry or coastal positions where Buxus struggles or burns, Teucrium holds condition. It is the obvious substitute for a formal ball in a Mediterranean-style garden. When does it flower?Mauve-blue flowers appear through spring into summer along the arching stems, with occasional flushes at other times in mild climates. Trim lightly straight after the main flush to keep the ball tight without losing the next display. How do I keep the ball in shape?Trim lightly twice a year, once after the main flowering flush and again in late summer. Work to the existing outline rather than cutting deep. An older specimen that has opened up can be cut back harder once a year to rejuvenate it, as it reshoots well from the frame. Is it suitable for pots?Yes, and it is one of the better choices. It is naturally compact, tolerates drying out between waterings, and the silver foliage lifts a dark pot. Use a free-draining premium potting mix and never let the pot sit in a saucer of water. Is it drought and frost tolerant?Drought tolerant once established, and it handles inland heat well. Frost tolerance is more limited, at light frosts only, so in colder inland districts give it a sheltered position. It is also reliably coastal tolerant. What soil does it need?Almost any, including poor and sandy ground and limestone soils, provided drainage is excellent. Wet feet is the one thing that kills it. On heavy clay, plant on a raised mound or improve the profile with gypsum and coarse compost before planting.