Commonly known as Grey Germander (Teucrium racemosum) and endemic to Australia, this plant is found in all mainland states and territories. Found growing in open woodlands, floodplains, ephemeral lakes, dry lake beds and in disturbed areas.

A perennial herb growing up to 40 cm in height, it has white flowers that are arranged singly in the leaf axils. With densely hairy stems, the leaves are four-sided, narrow egg-shaped leaf. The edges of the leaves are occasionally, rolled under or wavy. Flowering occurs from September to June.

Grey Germander (Teucrium racemosum), Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Alice Springs NT
Grey Germander (Teucrium racemosum), Alice Springs NT

Teucrium racemosum has a growth habit of sending out new shoots around the base of the original plant and is known, conditions permitting, to have a growth spread of several metres.

Grey Germander (Teucrium racemosum), Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Alice Springs NT
Grey Germander (Teucrium racemosum), Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Alice Springs NT

Know to attract a variety of insects such as native bees (picture here is the Blue-banded Amegilla chlorocyanea), and insect predators, such as spiders.

Grey Germander (Teucrium racemosum), Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Alice Springs NT
Amegilla chlorocyanea on the Grey Germander (Teucrium racemosum), Alice Springs NT
Amegilla chlorocyanea on Grey Germander (Teucrium racemosum), Alice Springs NT
Amegilla chlorocyanea on Grey Germander (Teucrium racemosum), Alice Springs NT

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Charophyta
  • Class: Equisetopsida
  • Subclass: Magnoliidae
  • Superorder: Asteranae
  • Order: Lamiales
  • Family: Lamiaceae
  • Genus: Teucrium
  • Species: Teucrium racemosum
Grey Germander (Teucrium racemosum), Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Alice Springs NT
Grey Germander (Teucrium racemosum) Alice Springs NT

FloraFlora in Australia Flora Index Acacia Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Annual Yellowtop Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme Apple Bush (Pterocaulon sphacelatum) Australian Bluebell Australian Gossypium Banksia Batswing Coral Tree Billy Buttons Birdsville Indigo Blue Pincushion Bush Banana Callistemon Callitris drummondii (Drummond’s Cypress Pine) Calothamnus quadrifidus Cape Honeysuckle Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) Cattle Bush Common Heath Crotalaria Darwinia wittwerorum (Wittwer’s Mountain Bell) Daviesia oppositifolia (Rattle-pea) Desert Oaks Drumsticks Eremophila Eucalyptus Ficus Flannel Cudweed (Actinobole uliginosum) Georges Indigo Goatshead Burr (Sclerolaena bicornis) Golden Everlasting Goodenia Gossypium Grass and Grasses Grass Trees Grevillea Grey Germander Hakea Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) Lambertia sp Leptospermum MacDonnell Ranges Cycad Maireana scleroptera Mexican Poppy Minnie Daisy Mistletoe Family Nardoo Native Apricot Nicotiana megalosiphon subspecies sessilifolia Nuytsia floribunda Orange Spade Flower Orchidaceae Parakeelyas (Calandrinia) Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Perennial Yellow Top Pink Everlasting Pink Rock Wort Poached Egg Daisy Portulaca Proteaceae Ptilotus Quandong Resurrection Fern Rosy Dock Ruby Saltbush Santalum Solanum Spike Centaury Spinifex Storkbill (Erodum cygnorum) Striped Mint Bush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tall Saltbush Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Tribulus eichlerianus Upside-down Plant Urodon dasyphylla Variable Daisy Waratah (Telopea) Wertabona Daisy White Cedar (Melia azedarach) White Indigo White Paper Daisy Wild Passionfruit Wild Stock Woolly-Headed Burr Daisy Woolly Bush Yellow-keeled Swainsona