Teucrium flavum

Sub-shrub of the Lamiaceae family, native to the Mediterranean basin, from the Iberian Peninsula to Turkey and the Near East, where it colonizes garrigues, limestone cliffs, screes, and dry rocky slopes in full exposure.

It forms a dense and upright bush, reaching 30 to 50 cm in height, sometimes more in vigorous forms like the one presented here. The stems are woody at the base, bearing oval to slightly rounded, crenellated leaves, dark green and shiny, aromatic when crushed. The flowers, small, are cream-white to yellowish-white, gathered in dense and elongated terminal spikes that cover the entire bush at the time of flowering. The calyces are hairy, tinged with brown-purple, giving the spikes a discreet but clearly visible bicolored texture and coloration.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to August. In cultivation, it occurs over a comparable period.

Despite its name, the flowers of T. flavum are generally cream-white rather than truly yellow; the name likely refers to the general hue of the spikes in bud. It requires full sun and well-drained soil, preferably limestone, dry in summer. Hardy in regions with mild winters, it deserves protection or a sheltered location in areas with prolonged severe frosts.