SPECIES: Teucrium (too'kri-um, named for King Teucer, first king of Troy) and chamaedrys (kam-ee'dris, early name for some germander). Member of Labiatae of mint family. Perennial hardy to minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Various gardening books list it as ground cover, herb or small shrub.

SIZE: 1-2 feet tall and wide. Medium growth rate.

FORM: Mounds and spreads irregularly with some branching.

FOLIAGE: 1-inch long dark-green leaves that grow close together for dense foliage masses.

FLOWERS: Rose-purple or white in loose spikes mid-summer, attractive to bees.

VARIETY: Prostratum, spreads 3 feet wide and 6 inches tall.

CULTURE: Full or part sun. Needs good drainage. Tolerates poor, dry soil and hot weather. Medium moisture, medium fertility.

PRUNING: Shear after flowering to maintain compact growth or to renew plants in early spring. Responds well to pruning for formal look.

PROPAGATION: Seed or divide plants in spring.

PROBLEMS: None.

USES: Tidy, border plant for perennial, herb or shrub gardens, especially for summer bloom; good stand-in for boxwood in formal plantings. Often used in knot gardens; grows well in containers and can be trained as bonsai.