Virginia ecotype - Henrico County
- Duration: Perennial
- Habit: Upright, spreading, naturalizing, rhizomatous
- Size: 1 - 3 ft tall
- Flowering time: Jul, Aug, Sep
- Bloom color: White, pink
- Habitat: Ditches, wet meadows, moist woods
- Moisture: Aveage to moist, poorly or well draining
- Light: Full sun to shade; adaptable to most light conditions
- Soils: Clay, sand, loam
- Uses: filler in moist areas, pollinator gardens, hummingbird gardens, rain gardens, wild meadows
Teucrium canadense (American germander)
American germander, also known as Canada germander or wood sage, is known for its attractive spikes of white to pink flowers and its ability to thrive in a wide variety of habitats. This species spreads vigorously through underground rhizomes, forming extensive colonies in its preferred conditions, average to wet areas with full sun or dappled light.
We don't find this species is incapable of outcompeting anything taller than itself, as the roots are near the surface. Its rhizomes wind their way around other taller plants. We find large colonies in full bloom are quite attractive.
Crushed leaves emit a mild aromatic scent, reminiscent of other members of the mint family. The bitter foliage is unpalatable to deer and rabbits. The tubular blooms are highly attractive to bumblebees and butterflies, being visited occasionally by hummingbirds and hummingbird moths.
This species is highly adaptable, growing naturally in both upland (dry) and lowland (moist) areas, and full sun meadows to shady forests, so it is suitable for many different gardens. Suggested uses would be for ditches, rain gardens, or wild woodland plantings. It pairs well with other moist perennials such as Joe-Pye weed, swamp milkweed, and blue vervain.