Leaf
Paul Fabre, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Wall germander
Teucrium chamaedrys L.
Family: Lamiaceae
15 to 30 cm tall
Dry banks, rockeries, borders, gardens, chalky soils
Flowering: July – September
Full sun
Hardy to -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its small toothed leaves resemble miniature oak leaves, hence its name. 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.
🍃 Leaves
Small, toothed, glossy, resembling miniature oak leaves
🌸 Flowers
Small pinkish-purple gaping flowers, clustered in the leaf axils
🍎 Fruits
Small dry achenes
🪵 Bark
Low woody stems, forming a dense cushion
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, Mediterranean basin; common in dry chalk grassland and rockeries in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Small pink flowers in spikes, rich in nectar, visited by bees and butterflies.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Low borders, rockeries, small clipped hedges; aromatic evergreen foliage.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Mildly toxic to the liver with repeated consumption as a concentrated herbal tea; traditional use now discouraged.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Wall germander
Teucrium chamaedrys
Tree germander
Teucrium fruticans
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.
🌿 Other Lamiaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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