Tree germander, how to plant and care for Teucrium fruticans

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Silver-blue evergreen leaves on a shrub of 3 to 5 feet, flowering from spring into midsummer: tree germander (Teucrium fruticans) earns its place in low hedges, shrub beds and topiary. Give it full sun and soil that drains – even poor and rocky – and it shrugs off drought, wind and sea spray.

Planting tree germander

Preferably, you’d get to work planting your shrubby germander in spring. It’ll resist hot weather, and is hardy down to 15°F (-10°C), which is great for places with extreme weather.

• It loves growing in full sun.
• Tree germander won’t be troubled by drought.
• It loves any type of soil, as long as it drains well.
• Even poor, rocky soil with little nutrients will please it.

Follow our advice on planting shrubs.

Pruning tree germander

The pruning of this bush is clearly optional, only if you wish to give it a roundish shape.

If this is the case, prune it frequently.

If you simply wish to balance the shape or reduce the size of your plant, do it at the end of summer, after flowering is over.

All there is to know about tree germander

Tree germander is particularly well-suited to creating low hedges, and does very well in shrub beds or topiary.

It can cope with most usual climatic environments, but in case of long-lasting frost spells, it will need to be protected.

The botanical name for bush germander is Teucrium fruticans. It’s part of the Lamiaceae family.

Smart tip about tree germander

Along the coast, plant tree germander because it stands strong in the wind and copes well with sea spray.