Teucrium pyrenaicum

Perennial of the Lamiaceae family, endemic to the Pyrenees and adjacent mountain ranges of the northern Iberian Peninsula. It occupies rocky grasslands, stabilized scree, and rock crevices, on calcareous or siliceous substrates, generally between 1,000 and 2,400 meters in altitude.

It forms a dense, creeping carpet, only 5 to 10 cm in height, gradually spreading by its stoloniferous stems. The foliage is one of its most remarkable features, immediately recognizable outside of flowering: the leaves are small, kidney-shaped to orbicular, deeply crenate, bright green, covered with dense bristly pubescence that gives them a velvety texture and a slightly shiny appearance in low-angle light.

The flowers display a very original bicoloration within the genus: the lower lip is cream white to pure white, while the buds and calyxes are a bright pink-purple, creating a striking contrast above the dark leaf carpet.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to August depending on altitude. In cultivation, it generally blooms in June-July.

It requires well-drained soil, preferably calcareous, and a sunny to semi-shaded exposure. Hardy and relatively easy to grow in cold rock gardens, it is suitable for alpine gardens, walls, and mountain plant containers. Its textured foliage remains decorative well beyond flowering.