Teucrium hircanicum - Germander

Teucrium hircanicum, sometimes called Iranian germander, is a treasure for rock gardens and dry gardens. This very robust perennial develops many semi-evergreen, grey-green and hairy rosettes, and then offers in the sun of June magnificent and long spikes of small flowers with a dazzling purple-red. This plant is both very hardy and perfectly adapted to summer drought, but its major dislike is winter wetness.

Teucrium hircanicum is a herbaceous perennial plant of the family Lamiaceae, or labiates, cousin of thymes and salvias. The arid hills of Iran and the Caucasus are the cradles of this remarkable botanical species. It quickly forms colonies of basal rosettes composed of opposite, ovate to oblong, coarsely dentate leaves of medium metallic green colour. The leaf surface is deeply veined, giving it a rough appearance although it is covered with soft bristles. The foliage is aromatic, revealing a subtle scent when crushed. Under the effect of intense drought or pronounced cold, this foliage can become deciduous. The spectacular flowering takes place from May-June to August depending on the climate, in the form of red and pubescent floral stems, 60cm (24in) tall. Although small, the bilabiate flowers form magnificent and long purple-red spikes towards the top. They bloom from bottom to top. This plant naturalizes very well through spontaneous sowing.

This little-known germander is a worry-free rock garden plant, easy to associate with a whole range of small plants for dry soil: thymes, rockroses, lavenders, creeping artemisias, helichrysums, Euphorbia myrsinites or catananches. It also forms pretty borders, paired with small perennial geraniums (Geranium sanguineum, Geranium macrorrhizum, Geranium renardii) or even with Echinops ritro.