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Teucrium chamaedrys

Common name:	Wall Germander	Family:	Labiatae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:	Teucrium officinale (Lam.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. Europe - Mediterranean. Naturalized in Britain[17].
Habitat:	Sunny, rather dry places on waste ground and rocky outcrops[7], mainly on limestone soils[89] Naturalized on old walls in Britain[17].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Camedrio [E], Common Germander [H], Germander [E], Germandree Petit Chene [E], Kamaderyos [E], Wall Germander [H], Yermesesi [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	chamaedrys = germander; teucrium = like Teucrium;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Lamiales. Renamed to Lamiaceae -- Mint family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Eurasia; Europe; France; Iraq; Spain; Turkey

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 0.3m by 0.3m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, In Walls, In South Wall, In East Wall, In West Wall, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

The plant is widely used in making alcoholic drinks with a bitter base, which have digestive or appetite-promoting qualities[7].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antiinflammatory; Antirheumatic; Aperient; Aromatic; Astringent; Bitter; Carminative; Diaphoretic; Digestive; Diuretic; Stimulant; Tonic.

Wall germander is a specific for the treatment of gout[4], it is also used for its diuretic properties, and as a treatment for weak stomachs and lack of appetite[9]. It has also been taken as an aid to weight loss and is a common ingredient in tonic wines[254]. Some caution is advised when using this plant internally, it can cause liver damage[238]
The whole herb is anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, aperient, aromatic, astringent, bitter, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, stimulant and tonic[4, 7, 9, 46, 165, 240]. It is harvested in the summer and can be dried for later use[4, 254]. It is used externally as an astringent infusion on the gums and also in the treatment of wounds[7].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

Essential; Ground cover; Hedge.

Amenable to light trimming so can be grown as a low edging border in the garden[200]. Any trimming is best done in the spring[182].
The plant contains 0.6% of an essential oil[7].
Plants can be grown as a ground cover when planted about 30cm apart each way[208].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any moderately good soil in sun or light shade[31]. Prefers a dry calcareous soil and a sunny position[7, 9].
A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to at least -29°c[238].
Wall germander was at one time widely cultivated as a medicinal plant, though it is seldom use at present[4]. It is a very ornamental plant, making a good edging for the border and able to be lightly clipped[200]. The fresh leaves are bitter and pungent to the taste, when rubbed they emit a strong odour somewhat resembling garlic[4].
This species is often confused in gardens with T. divaricatum and T. x lucidrys. It is important to ensure that you have the correct plant if using it medicinally[238].
Cut off dead flower spikes when the plant has finished flowering in order to encourage bushy new growth[238].
A good bee plant[31].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed[113]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer if they are large enough. Otherwise, grow them on in a cold frame for the winter and plant them out in the following spring.
Division in early spring[1]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[113].

Scent

Leaves: Crushed: When rubbed, the leaves emit a strong odour somewhat resembling garlic.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for teucrium chamaedrys (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[31] Brown. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[89] Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1
A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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