Tree germander or Wall germander: how to tell them apart?
Tree germander and Wall germander look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Tree germander
Teucrium fruticans
Wall germander
Teucrium chamaedrys
Tree germander is a taller subshrub with persistent silvery foliage, whereas wall germander is a small mat-forming perennial with lobed leaves like those of an oak.
🍃 Leaves
Evergreen, small, ovate, silvery-grey above and below
Small, toothed, glossy, resembling miniature oak leaves
🌸 Flowers
Small blue-mauve gaping flowers, in the leaf axils
Small pinkish-purple gaping flowers, clustered in the leaf axils
🍎 Fruits
Small dry achenes, barely visible
Small dry achenes
🪵 Bark
Square, silvery-white stems, bushy habit
Low woody stems, forming a dense cushion
📏 Size
0.5 to 1.5 m tall
15 to 30 cm tall
🗺️ Habitat
Low hedges, edgings, dry gardens, free-draining soils
Dry banks, rockeries, borders, gardens, chalky soils
⚠️ Toxicity
No known toxicity.
Mildly toxic to the liver with repeated consumption as a concentrated herbal tea; traditional use now discouraged.
🔎 And from the Wall germander side
Tree germander is a taller subshrub with evergreen silvery foliage, whereas wall germander is a small carpeting perennial with lobed leaves like those of an oak.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.