Teucrium canadense

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Teucrium canadense
Light:Full Sun Part Shade
Moisture:Mesic
Hardiness:4
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Self Pollinated
Height:3'
Width:2'
Blooms:Mid Summer-Late Summer
Open Woods Forest
Native to:
Medicinal Rating:
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Teucrium canadense (common name: american germander)

Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed[1]. 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[2]. 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[1].

Cultivation: Succeeds in full sun in any moderately good well-drained soil[2][3].

Range: Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Florida and Mexico.

Habitat: Woods and thickets[4]. Stream bottom woods and low open ground in Texas[5].

Medicinal: A tea made from the leaves is diaphoretic, diuretic and emmenagogue[4]. The leaves are applied externally to cuts etc as an antiseptic dressing[4].

The plant is a widespread adulterant to commercial supplies of skullcap, Scutellaria lateriflora[4].

Pollinators: Bees, self

Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.

Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.

Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  3. Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
  5. Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.