REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney, streaming live at www.2rrr.org.au  and Across Australia on the Community Radio Network. www.realworldgardener.com
REALWORLD GARDENER NOW ON FACEBOOK
Real World Gardener is funded by the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF).

The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Members of the genus that is featured today in plant of the week are commonly known as germanders.
There are hundreds of species, including herbs, shrubs or subshrubs.
They’re found all over the world but are most common in Mediterranean climates which might make you think that they are tough little plants.
You would be right.
Let’s find out about them with the plant panel, Karen Smith www.hortjournal.com.au and Jeremy Critchley owner of www.thegreengallery.com.au

by listening to the podcast 

The idea that Teucrium was named after the King of Troy sounds fantastic, but in reality it’s more likely that Linnaeus named the genus after a Dr. Teucer, a medical botanist.
The species Teucrium fruitcans grows to 1-8m x 1.8 m.

Ornamental, silvery foliage year round.

Deep, true blue flowers from autumn through to late spring.

Very hardy and dry tolerant shrub once established.

Suitable for clipping  and for hedging.

Prefers a full sun location in most soil types given good drainage. Withstands dry conditions well once established but should be watered deeply occasionally during extended periods of heat. A hard prune after flowering will encourage a dense habit. If hedging, lighter but more frequent prunes to shape is required.

Teucrium fruiticans "silver Box" is a new release only growing to 0.8 m x 0.8 m.

Why it’s called Germander?
Taken from medieval Latin germandra, based on the Greek khamaidrus, literally ‘ground oak’, from khamai ‘on the ground’ + drus ‘oak’ (because the leaves of some species were thought to look like those of the oak).

If you have any questions about growing Germander or Teucrium, why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com