Teucrium fruticans, bush germander, is an evergreen shrub native to the western Mediterranean — Spain, southern France, and North Africa — grown for its year-round silvery-gray foliage and loose spikes of small pale blue to lavender flowers held above the leaves from late spring into summer. The felted white undersides of the leaves give the whole plant a shimmering, two-tone look that reads well against gravel, stone, and darker evergreens, and it takes shearing readily, making it a common choice for informal low hedges, clipped mounds, or a loose silver backdrop for airy perennials like verbena and ornamental grasses.
It wants full sun and sharp drainage — like most Mediterranean natives it is far more likely to fail from wet feet than from drought, and established plants need little to no supplemental water. It tolerates poor, rocky, and alkaline soil, wind, and salt spray, and is hardy in the ground through roughly Zone 8; in colder zones it is grown in containers and overwintered under cover. Light shearing after the spring flush of flowers keeps the habit dense and prevents the base from going bare and woody; a harder cut in spring rejuvenates an overgrown plant, though it is slower to recover than more vigorous Mediterranean shrubs.
Root rot
Plants wilt, yellow, and stunt even in moist soil; lower stems and roots turn brown, soft, and mushy and the plant may collapse. Most common in heavy, wet, or poorly drained ground.
Improve drainage and stop overwatering, and never plant too deep. Lift and destroy badly affected plants along with the soil around the roots. Grow in raised or free-draining beds to prevent it returning.