In this post we will talk about a shrub of the Teucrium genus, it is Teucrium marum. This evergreen shrub of the Lamiaceae family, from the Mediterranean region, being considered endemic in the Balearic Islands, is characterized by being a compact plant with small, oval gray-green leaves. It blooms during the summer, specifically in our latitudes, during the months of May to August; the flowers, very fragrant, are pink. The floral structure is typical of the Lamiaceae family, with 5 fused sepals and a unilabiate corolla of 5 fused petals.
Its habit is shrubby, about 30/40 centimeters tall by 30/40 centimeters wide. As we can see, it is a compact plant of reduced dimensions, very suitable for sustainable gardening both in public roads and private gardens.
It is a species belonging to hardiness zone number 8, with an average annual minimum temperature range of -12.2 / -6.7°C, showing resistance to moderate frosts within the Mediterranean climate.
Teucrium marum is very drought resistant. It only requires support irrigation during the 10-12 weeks after planting, once well rooted it does not require any irrigation (except those planted in pots). It is interesting to cover the soil with some species of mulch to retain soil moisture and avoid the appearance of unwanted weeds that may compete with it, since being a low bush, it is easy for weeds to compete with it.
Image of Teucrium marum; Source: www.luirig.altervista.org
Its preferred location is in full sun, since if it grows in partial shade, its flowering is almost non-existent and we will have a less compact plant. It develops well both in sandy soils and in clayey and heavy soils, as long as they have good drainage. It is also tolerant to stony soils.
We can consider it a very functional plant since it adapts to all types of gardens. It can be used as a low hedge, homogeneous border and for the creation of dense masses of low height development (maximum growth of 40 centimeters). It is also a very suitable shrub to use in rock gardens, since as we have said previously, it is resistant to stony soils.
In case you want to prune it, it is recommended to perform the pruning during autumn, this way we will obtain a more compact bush and ensure spectacular flowering during the following summer.
The recommended planting density is 3 to 5 plants per m2, or 3 to 4 per linear meter if you want to achieve a border. In our nursery we have this species in 3L containers.
It is a very recommendable and versatile plant, which we encourage you to try.