Sideritis sp

Perennial sub-shrub of the Lamiaceae family, photographed in Spain, whose precise identification at the specific level could not be established with certainty. The genus Sideritis is particularly rich in species and subspecies in the Iberian Peninsula, where several very close taxa coexist.

This plant was observed in an open scrubland, on dry and stony substrate, in full light, alongside other Mediterranean shrubs characteristic of Iberian dry grasslands.

It forms an upright and branched bush about 30 to 50 cm in height, with herbaceous stems slightly woody at the base. The leaves are narrowly lanceolate, grayish-green, covered with a fine indumentum. The most striking feature of the plant in bloom is the density of its upright terminal spikes, with closely spaced whorls bearing spiny and awned bracts, of a yellowish-green to slightly bronzed color, from which emerge small pale yellow to cream labiate flowers, arranged in regular tiers along the spike.

In cultivation, Iberian Sideritis require perfectly drained, poor soil, and full sun exposure. They do not tolerate prolonged wet and cold winters well.