TEUCRIUM BETONICUM

Description

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!

Sowing Advice

For best results, sow immediately onto a good soil-based compost. Cover the seeds with fine grit or compost to approximately their own depth. They can be sown at any time, and germination can sometimes be quicker if kept at 15 to 20 degrees C. We sow most seeds in an unheated greenhouse and wait for natural germination, as many seeds have built-in dormancy mechanisms, often waiting for natural spring germination, hence giving them a full season of growth.

Key Facts