Teucrium fruticans – Silver Bush Germander

Teucrium fruticans is the Silver Bush Germander, a Mediterranean evergreen grown for foliage colour above all else. The leaves are small and aromatic with a white felted underside, carried on square stems that are felted white to match, so the whole shrub reads silver from across a garden. Mauve-blue flowers appear along the arching stems through spring and into summer, with the odd flush at other times in mild districts. They are a bonus. The reason to plant it is the colour. It grows to around 0.75 to 1.2 metres tall and spreads to roughly 1.8 metres, with a naturally loose arching habit that tightens considerably with a light trim after flowering. Left alone it makes an informal silver mound. Clipped, it holds a low hedge or a formal shape. 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, sandy or limestone soil. Wet feet is the one thing it will not take. Frequently Asked Questions About Teucrium fruticans What is Teucrium fruticans?An evergreen Mediterranean shrub in the mint family, Lamiaceae, commonly called Silver Bush Germander or Tree Germander. It is grown for aromatic blue-grey foliage with white felted undersides and stems, and mauve-blue flowers through spring and summer. How big does it grow?Around 0.75 to 1.2 metres tall and up to 1.8 metres wide. The habit is loose and arching by nature, so a light trim after flowering keeps it compact rather than sprawling. What is the difference between this and the Teucrium ball?Same plant, different training. This is the natural bush form, supplied unshaped, for hedging, borders, mass planting or an informal silver mound. The ball is the same species grown on and clipped over several seasons into a formal sphere, and arrives as a finished piece. Buy the bush form if you want a shrub or a hedge, the ball if you want instant formal structure. Can I use it as a low hedge?Yes, and it is one of the better silver options for one. Plant 60 to 80 centimetres apart and trim twice a year. It responds well to clipping and reshoots from the frame, so it holds a line without going woody and bare at the base the way some grey-foliage shrubs do. 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 straight after the main flush to keep it tight without costing the next display. Is it suitable for pots?Yes. It is compact, tolerates drying out between waterings and the silver foliage lifts a dark pot. Use a free-draining premium potting mix and never leave the pot standing in 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 give it a sheltered position in colder inland districts. It is reliably coastal tolerant. What soil does it need?Almost any, including poor, sandy and limestone ground, provided drainage is excellent. Wet feet is what kills it. On heavy clay, plant on a raised mound or work gypsum and coarse compost through the profile first.