Teucrium canadense

A tidy plant with a uniform look, American germander produces surprisingly ornate flowers during the month of July. Though modest in size, the light pink, speckled blooms are quite attractive, offering a fine floral accent to their surroundings.

Native to NE Ohio streamside meadows and forest edges, American germander prefers full to partial sunlight and soils of moderately wet to average moisture. In the home landscape, the plant is best utilized in naturalistic rather than formal gardens due to its tendency for aggressive spreading. Indeed, American germander produces numerous rhizomes and often forms large colonies, but this quality can make it quite valuable for filling in bare soil and preventing weed encroachment. Suggested plants for pairing with American germander include common milkweed, early sunflower, short-toothed mountain mint, wild bergamot, and common yarrow.

American germander receives a good amount of attention from pollinators, with long-tongued bees such as bumble bees, leaf-cutting bees, and digger bees visiting most frequently. A digger bee called the chimney bee sometimes occupies the same riparian habitat that is home to American germander in nature. Outstanding architects, chimney bees often construct their nests high up on clay riverbanks, creating a tubular structure, the “chimney,” leading into the nest entrance. When stocking the nest with pollen and nectar, the chimney bee will happily visit any American germander that is growing nearby.

Photo by Doug McGrady.