Teocrium fructicans. C11

It is an evergreen shrub whose scientific name is Teucrium fruticans, but which is popularly known as Teucrio, olivilla, sage bitter, olive, sage rabies or royal Trojan. It grows to a maximum height of 2 metres, although it is usually left between 50 and 150cm. Its stems are erect, highly branched, and glabrous.

The leaves measure between 15 and 55mm by 8-35mm, and are oval, flat, leathery, whole, with an olive green bundle and a whitish underside. The flowers are grouped in clusters, and are hermaphroditic or female, white-pink, lilac or blue in colour. The fruit is dry, obovate and brown in colour. It flowers in spring and sometimes in summer.

Situation: It is a bush that likes the sun very much, it supports the semi shade as long as it has more hours of light than of darkness.

Substratum: They like deep, fertile sandy soils.

Watering: It doesn't need much watering, in fact excess humidity is fatal for this plant which is perfectly adapted to dry periods.

Fertilizer: It likes natural fertilizers in spring and in summer.

Breeding: Its multiplication is by cuttings at the end of the summer and by seeds in spring.

Pruning: It should be stripped of the dry leaves and branches, as this bush looks best by means of a rounded pruning.

Pests and diseases: It's a resistant plant, the only thing we should watch out for is the excess of humidity that the presence of fungus can cause.

It resists frosts down to -5ºC and very hot climates with temperatures of 40ºC.