Perennial of the Lamiaceae family, native to the Balkan Peninsula and Turkey, where it grows on limestone rocks and rocky scree at altitude, in full exposure. It is a rare species in cultivation, sought after by alpine plant enthusiasts for its remarkably compact habit and textured foliage.
It forms a dense, very tight cushion, creeping between rocks, reaching barely 5 to 10 cm in height. The leaves are small, rounded to oval, deeply crenate, of a medium green, and covered with a dense whitish tomentum that gives them a very characteristic downy and silvery appearance. The flowers, small, are pale yellow to creamy yellow, gathered in compact and woolly heads at the top of the short stems. This contrast between the silvery foliage and the yellowish inflorescences gives the plant a mineral aspect that naturally integrates between the rocks.
In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to July.
It requires full sun, perfect drainage and a poor to moderately calcareous soil, dry in summer. Sensitive to any stagnant moisture, it is more comfortable in a raised rock garden or in a pot under cold shelter in winter. Its hardiness in humid conditions remains to be evaluated according to regions.