Teucrium montanum L.

Nomenclature and Native Range

Teucrium montanum, commonly called mountain germander, is a species of germander native to southern Europe, ranging from Spain east to Turkey.

Growth Form and Foliage

It grows into shrubs around one foot high, with small leaves no more than one inch across, and bears yellowish-white blooming petals.

Habitat and Elevation

It occurs on south-facing mountain slopes, and can be found at elevations as high as 2400 meters in the Alps.

Historical Documentation

The plant was already known to the ancient Greeks, where it was one of several plants named χαμαίπιτυς, and is mentioned by Pliny the Elder in his Latin work Historia Naturalis.