Teucrium Betonicum

This rare and new-in-cultivation evergreen shrub from Madeira is worth growing as a foliage plant alone with its large soft, velvety-sage-green scallop-edged leaves. However, a glorious multitude of showy, six inch purple-violet-rose spikes, many to a stem, are held upright, smothering the foliage from top to bottom on a dense rounded bush from May to August. In addition, it is easy, drought tolerant, and deer proof. Gentle pruning in early spring will keep it flowering every year. Finally it will grow almost anywhere, from bone dry (as in Madeira) to a damp shady corner. A worthy introduction to gardens!