Teocrium fructicans C17/20

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.